The next day.
Sam is currently in front of the city lord.
This is the hearing for the yesterday's forest fire he caused. The city lord looked at him and asked.
"Who are you fighting with in the forest last night? From what we heard there are many people in the forest and I am sure you knew that it is illegal to kill someone according to the law. On top of that the forest is sacred in the elven culture. I know you are a human, but that is not acceptable."
"I didn't kill anyone."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly what I said. I didn't kill anyone."
"Then what about the people that are spotted in red cloaks by the city guards."
"Then may I ask why the city guards didn't pursue the people that looked suspicious?"
"I am the one asking questions here." The City lord got flustered and spoke in a defending tone.
Sam shook his head and spoke.
"I don't know on what grounds you are holding a trail for me. First, I didn't kill anyone and if you have any proof that I did, you can provide it. As for the forest destruction, I don't know exactly what you are talking about. You might have either ignored some documents or you might have deliberately not seen in.
The forest you said I damaged is my private property and the paper work is processed last night. I am building an office for my own company which was recently registered so I bought the forest land. And it is even directly processed by the special officer Raunak, if you want you can take a look."
As soon as he said that, the city lord asked someone beside him who brought the documents.
But Sam is not done yet.
"I am the highest tax payer in the last few months and if you don't mind me asking, if there are really suspicious people that came to my property, I would at least expect that minimum security that a normal civilian should get.
But here I am being put through a trial because someone suspects me of killing people that are supposedly sneaked into my private property.
I just don't understand how you maintain this government."
The City lord was stumped. But Sam still has something else to say.
"Anyway, if you really want to find and grill someone, find that guy that is committing arson right in the middle of the city. He killed two officers and a noble offspring that came here from Planet 1. I don't think there is any progress in that case. I don't like being treated like this."
With that, he didn't even bother to wait for any response and left. But the city lord is currently feeling a bit stressed.
He is from a faction and he knows for a fact that something is wrong with Sam and he is currently hunting the members of their faction.
The faction 2 is also silent for the same exact reason, they might have lost some money to Sam, but money is something they could earn easily and with the fact that everyone that messed with Sam was burned alive is something they couldn't get over easily.
That is why the faction 2 let them fight over and they are happy that Sam is selling his new products to the new members from Planet 1 than the faction 1 as they lost too many funds and that even cost them the election in Planet 2.
The city lord is only giving Sam a hard time because he was ordered to, but now that he was reminded of what happens, when Sam was targeted he is sweating bullets, he didn't even bother to stop him and let him go.
After Sam came out, he met with Raunak and spoke personally.
"These factions are really idiotic and so full of themselves. Do you have answer for my question?"
"Yes, I would like a relatively peaceful life with her. I don't want our relationship to be the part of this chaos."
"Then there are only two options, one is get out of this place after you married her. You have to leave everything behind within this realm and go to another realm if you want to, but you have to stay far enough for the factions to not mess with you.
That professor of yours who helped with the coconut biscuits; he is bad news. There is another secret faction growing slowly but steadily in the dark and unknowingly you are actually a part of that faction."
"I am a part of a faction? Are you kidding me? I am pretty sure, I would know if I was really a part of some faction."
"Well, that is what makes this faction special. You don't know but you are slowly falling into this pit. Why do you think the professor is helping you and many others like you? Do you think that is for fun? Why do you think he is supporting your love with that girl when she is an important member of a faction? Because he cares too much about your well-being?
If you really think that, then you are nothing but delusional.
The one-star military unit, that builder that came to buy the cement factory, they are all part of a faction.
They might have also started just like you or someone must have really been a part of that but if you ask them enough favors, you would have to return them one day and they would use your relation with that girl to do something that you don't want to do.
Even if they didn't do that, you would be forced to join the faction 1 by your father in law since you and your lover will be stuck with that.
And that is not even the worst part. That would be when you and your lover are being torn apart from both this mysterious faction and the faction 1.
If you don't want to get into this mess, there are two methods. One is as I said before, get the promotion, marry her and leave this place. Get far away. You would have to leave your home town, and keep on running away.
There is another way and I don't know if you are strong enough to follow that."
"What is it?"
"In that method you will be able to stay in this place, not leave, but it would be a little harsh, at least you wouldn't be too torn between both the factions. You have to manipulate them in getting what you want out of any kind of situation you will be put in.
So make your decision, because the more I stay here, the more I am feeling that this place is not worth it.
But no matter what decision it is, first cut the contact with the professor and any other contacts he gave you. If that builder or any other person tries to contact you, about anything. The forging license or any other shit, just ask them to contact me directly no matter what it is.
If they ask you for something else, like some favors or something, don't do it for free. If you can handle it and brush it off, do it, if you can't then tell me and I will help you handle it.
If you are going to escape, just tell me before, so that I won't waste too much time making plans. I will make the promotion as soon as possible and let you have your moment.
So, be sure to think this through before you do anything.
By the way, after you are done with the promotion, if your father in law tries something funny, the remaining two factions will definitely look for you to make use of you. Currently you are a great talent in their eyes, but you are inevitably linked to the faction 1 and they couldn't separate you from that easily.
But if you don't want to die with all of your uses extracted from you, you better not take it.
That is all I have to say for now. Think properly."
With that, Sam left the place and went back to the camp. He and his friends are currently in the middle of building a new base for his office.
This would be a secondary base for his future subordinates that are going to come to this elven realm.
From what Sam could see, the elven government is not as strong as he thought and there is not much power in the hands of elected officials, it is just a symbol of authority.
The main power is still in the hands of the bureaucrats and the merchants along with the military and finally the elders who are essentially the bureaucrats while the hidden powers amount to the nobility.
And the government is also pretty torn here. So, Sam decided on the development route of his organization in Charbum realm, and it starts in the Planet 2 for now. And it would continue after he entered the remaining planets too. With the planet 1 having the primary base.
