When Sam reached the Marquis mansion, an attendant was already waiting for him at the entrance who guided him to the meeting room.
Marquis is the only person sitting in the room with a gloomy expression.
Sam entered the room and took a seat up on marquis' gesture.
"Do you know what you did?
Just because you are capable, that doesn't mean you can do things as you like. Do you know what killing a Count means?
When the news spreads, the other Counts will all become restless."
Sam didn't bother to reply and just looked at the Marquis ranting on him with a expressionless face.
"I don't know what you think of it. But the fact is as simple as you heard it to be. A person with the support of his family kidnapped a person under my wing, so I went there to take her back. That's it. That doesn't have anything to do with his noble title.
If the other Counts are restless and afraid of it, then I have only one thing to say. Don't mess with me.��� Sam opened his mouth only after the Marquis calmed down a little.
Sam placed the Katana on the table, then only Marquis looked at the sword closely. Even though, it was sheathed he can still feel the Bloody aura.
Sam didn't seem to care about it and took out a bunch of scrolls and placed them on the table.
"These are the reports of the mission. There are more than eight months till the mission is over.
I have two requests. First one, don't release the info about our missions and seal it as much as you can. At least, don't let any of the officials and nobility know about it.
The second one, Eliminate Jasmine in this round."
When Sam said his first condition the marquis was already surprised and confused, but when he heard the second condition, he was shocked.
Why would someone eliminate their own teammate and particularly after Sam went through the trouble of creating a massacre just to save her.
"Why?"
Sam chuckled at Marquis' question, this only made him believe that the other party is completely oblivious to the Black water and the situation of the under ground forces.
"For the first one, you will understand once you see the reports, as for the second one, i don't have much reasons, but I can exchange something in return."
Marquis was clearly surprised that Sam would exchange something with him.
"What are going to exchange then?"
"20 million spirit stones."
Marquis took a deep breath when he heard the number. He didn't expect that Sam would outright give him a number, this isn't even an exchange, rather it is more of a bribe. He knew that Sam is rich, but he didn't think that he can give away that much.
Of course, the marquis didn't take a look at the reports, otherwise he would understand that the twenty million is just the loot from one Count city.
"I don't need that. I want you to owe me a favour." This time it was Sam's time to think. But he nodded his head anyway.
"Sure."
After that, Sam took his sword and left.
All the guards and officials who faced him were all looking at the sword. Not because, they heard the news, but because they are surprised by the fierce aura. The Blood scent can even be felt in the air.
Sam went back to his mansion.
For the next few days, he didn't do anything at all, he is waiting for Marquis' call.
He is very sure that marquis will call him, because, Sam left something crucial out of the report and that is the info about the Black water organisation.
From, what he understood about the marquis, he is sure that the other party is a responsible person and if he is also a clever one, he could recognize that there is a gap in the info Sam provided.
Just as he predicted, the personal attendant of the Marquis came to the mansion after five days.
That day, in the same meeting room.
"What is it with all these underground forces, why are all of them similar in operating and has similar businesses? And there are led by great mages, what is it with this report?"
Marquis is clearly confused, but he was also shocked when he read the report. He knew that there are a lot of underground forces, but he didn't expect that there is this much of involvement and they have such great power in a single city.
Sam only smiled and said.
"You don't know a lot of things, Sir Marquis, it is not like you have been living at the bottom of the society to learn this, the involvement of these forces is much more than you think and the details in the report are only tip of the iceberg."
"What do you mean by saying this is a tip of the iceberg?" marquis was stunned.
Even if having a force as strong as the whole city guard as tip of the iceberg, then what is the whole network of this organisation. He is suddenly afraid.
"I mean exactly what is said, I can give you information but that is not the part of my job, so I am sorry." He finished his piece and was about leave, when the Marquis stood up immediately.
"What do you want?" He immediately asked. He knows better than anyone that Sam is not a person who will just divulge info under pressure and in fact he is in a situation where he cannot even pressure him.
"An equivalent exchange and a simple condition." Sam replied as he sat back.
"What is the condition?"
"You will not under any circ.u.mstances reveal this info to your superiors and you will also hide the fact that I am the one who gave you this info."
Marquis started to think, he is trying to guess why Sam placed such a condition.
If the info is valuable, the superiors might even give Sam a great reward. But he clearly wants to hide himself keeping a low profile, which is not Sam's style at all. Then that only means one thing, the info will give him more problems than rewards, if he was known to get involved with this.
"What do you want in exchange?" marquis asked in a solemn tone.
"Of course, info for info, then only we can call it an equivalent exchange." At this statement marquis' face truly became solemn. He has an inkling, what Sam is going to ask.
But after some thought, he said. "I agree."
Sam nodded and took out a formation disc. This is actually a rank 3 concealment formation, which he made using special techniques. Only a person above Great realm can get through this.
After activating the formation, Sam said.
"You might not believe me, but the three big organisations in the three Count cities are actually part of an even bigger organisation.
The organisation has branches all over the empire and if my guess is correct, it is much bigger than that." Sam paused for a second before continuing.
"I am not going to divulge the organisation's name, but what I can tell you is, in every city they same force as the rulers of that territory of not better than them.
In every count city, they have a Great mage leading the branch.
They will have several legal businesses led by their people to have an identity and they are also in charge of all the profitable illegal businesses.
They will send the profits they earned to their superior branch annually."
Marquis expression turned gloomy.
"How is that even possible? If such a powerful force is inside the city, how can they be hidden that deep?
Even if they have alternate identities how can they hide it from the authorities and the city guards for that long period of time?"
When Sam heard this, he nearly wanted to laugh out loud.
"You truly overestimate your rule. There is more to that the society than that meets your eyes Marquis.
Do you know that apart from paying taxes more than seventy percent of businesses in the business zone has to pay protection fee?
Then do you think those people will not complain to the city guard about it. If they did, then why are they still in that condition?
Where do you think those protection fees are going? Who are collecting this?
I have to say, even though you are one of the responsible persons I have known, you are still uninformed about a lot of things.
Anyway, what I want to say is, there is a branch of that organisation in Blue flame city and that is the head-quarters of all the organisations in the Count cities.
And they are not even the final organisation, they are also subordinate of much bigger organisation.
Even more interesting thing is their profits might be even higher than your taxes.
Every year, not only will they send all those spirit stones, they also collect resources like herbs and ores and send them to their superior organisation."
When Sam finished saying this, the marquis is already sweating, he didn't know that there is an organisation right under his nose and has more influence than him.
At this moment, Sam took out some scrolls, these are the monthly reports he collected.
When the Marquis skimmed through this, he was even more shocked. But the name of the organisation was torn away from the scroll.
"Now, your turn." Sam said waking the marquis up from his stupor.
"What do you want to know?"
"The competition, special branch, what is this about?"
Marquis took a deep breath, he knew this was coming, but since he made a deal, he has to say it.
"All these special branches and the competitions are for an event and that is the 18th birthday of his youngest princess.
Even though, the info was stated like that, there is one more thing only select few can know and that chain stops at Marquis level.
The competitions and everything held by the empire, but the one who ordered them is someone beyond the emperor. They are the true rulers of the empire.
We don't know the exact details on why they are asking to do this, but simply put, they asked us to select the younger people with potential.
Even though, the tests are designed by the emperor, your names are already sent to them, now your lives are under their protection. Even of you offend the emperor now, he has to shut it and keep silent.
At the same time, you are all under their radar and quitting the competition is not your choice anymore.
Me agreeing to let Jasmine is that I have a valid reason to let her quit and that is her mental state and lack of combat prowess. If not for the pressure due to the ignorance of the Artisan tower, I would have never let her join in."
