"Melard! Do you know what you're doing!?"
Seeing even his own son defy him, Mel could no longer contain his blazing fury. He pointed at his son's nose and roared,
"Have you lost your mind, daring to disobey your own father!?"
"No, Father. Anger has eaten away at your reason, to the point that you haven't considered the consequences at all—"
Melard tried to face Mel calmly.
"This is Dragon Gold City, not our territory. We have no right to punish them ourselves in Dragon Tail Pass—
If we truly object to them growing star plums, we should report it to the court and defend our rights through the law."
"Why go to all that trouble for something a fine can settle!? We have plenty of money!"
"But money can't buy everything!"
Melard raised his voice in protest.
"Just as you know perfectly well that you can't buy a judge's ruling—
The court would never recognize star plums as your exclusive property!
That's precisely why you want to solve this with violence!"
His words were like a merciless sword, effortlessly piercing Mel's veneer of pride.
But beneath that pride lay a fierce sense of self-worth.
Self-worth piled up with money and built from wealth.
Mel could no longer listen to any advice. His chest heaved so violently that Melard feared his father might faint.
Yet even before he fainted, he still intended to give one final order:
"Two of you, tie the young master up and put him in the carriage.
The rest of you, carry on—"
"Stop!"
Once the first opportunity slipped away, trouble would only come one thing after another.
When Mel saw a boy hurrying toward the orchard with several black-robed guards, he spat under his breath, then reluctantly waved at the mercenaries to put away their