Chapter 255
“King” Augustus Cantor
Looking at the pathetic middle-aged man trembling before him, Eivass couldn’t help but curl his lips upwards.
Mr. King’s personality is quite interesting…
Eivass had already made it clear to him that both he and Princess Isabel were acquaintances. This was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill, as neither a minister nor the Princess Royal of Avalon was obligated to share such secrets with him.
—Yet, he trembled even more.
What was he afraid of?
Was he afraid of being silenced for knowing too much, or did he think he was doomed, which was why Eivass revealed these things to let him die with clarity?
Seeing that “Mr. King” didn’t dare to speak first, Eivass could only extend his hand and tap the armrest, using his voice to attract his attention.
“Your name,” Eivass asked.
“Augustus Cantor,” the “King” replied.
…Augustus?
Eivass was taken aback for a moment.
What a name! No wonder you chose the codename “King”…
He sighed inwardly.
Augustus was a title of the Roman Empire, and in this world, the Emperor of the Hrasal Empire had also used this title for a period.
The Star Antimony Kingdom was the nation where the traditions of the Hrasal Empire were most preserved, so it wasn’t strange for the King to know such historical references.
His parents were truly amazing.
By analogy, it would be like a child named “Huang” whose parents named him “Huang Shang” (meaning “Yellow Ascend”), or a child named “Bi” whose parents named him “Bi Xia” (meaning “End of Summer”).
—In modern times, this would probably just lead to being teased by classmates.
But the problem was, the Star Antimony Kingdom he lived in actually had kings and nobles!
You have a pair of brave and peculiar parents, Eivass marveled in his heart.
Eivass suppressed the subtle emotions in his heart and adjusted his expression so as not to laugh easily.
He continued with a stern face, asking, “Your Path and Profession? What did you come here for? Honestly report it.”
“I am a Botanist of the Path of Balance.”
Augustus answered voluntarily, “I am currently at Energy Level Two, and I just passed my Ascension Ritual on that ship yesterday.”
He mentioned this with regret.
Just last night, a very friendly Ritualist on the ship had personally guided his Ascension Ritual.
And a few days prior, the people on the ship had shared their experiences with Ascension Rituals with him. At the time, Augustus had repeatedly praised them as kind people. He had drunk with them and formed a brief friendship of less than three days in a lively atmosphere.
—So when he saw these new friends of his skillfully drawing their weapons and attacking the official personnel with deadly force, Augustus was completely stunned.
What happened!
Why are these friends I just made beating up police officers to death!
Oh, these weren’t even Supervisors, equivalent to the Star Antimony Kingdom’s police, but Inspectors. They were equivalent to Star Antimony’s agents, or rather, royal spies… Otherwise, given their level of coordination, if the number of police officers was less than twenty, they could have been eliminated in an instant.
That would be murder!
And not just murder in the general sense, but actively attacking and killing them in broad daylight!
In that instant, Augustus guessed their identities.
—Could the ship I boarded be Avalon’s famous smuggling freighter!
Someone save me, I’m going to be killed!
“By the Hourglass, I’m a legitimate businessman! Before, let alone smuggling, I’ve never even committed fraud! The goods I deliver are always full measure, and I’ve never earned money with a guilty conscience!”
Augustus shivered at the thought and immediately raised his hand to swear, “In the name of the Hourglass, I can swear that I have always conducted legitimate business… You may not know, but I couldn’t make a living in Star Antimony because I refused to associate with those people…
“I met that person during a previous Ascension Ritual, and his codename was ‘Antler’ at the time. He claimed he needed a large quantity of plant essential oils and ordered eight hundred White Crown Coins worth of goods from me. That’s equivalent to five hundred Gold Coins in our realm, a very large order.
“He paid half the deposit and said I only needed to send half the goods first. He would then pay the other half, and I would deliver the remaining goods—I’ve been in this business for a long time, but I’ve never seen such an accommodating client. Normally, payment is made after delivery… He acted as if he wasn’t afraid of me absconding.”
—Of course, now he knew why.
Augustus thought of the dozens of mercenary Extraordinary individuals from various Paths and with high Energy Levels on the ship and immediately understood why he wasn’t afraid of him absconding.
If he had absconded and been captured by them, their attitude would surely not have been so friendly…
“I just wanted to see if he had any other needs… It’s rare to encounter such a generous client, so I wanted to establish a long-term trade agreement.”
Augustus replied with extreme sincerity, “I was prepared to pay customs duties! I even brought the money… Those goods were plant essential oils. According to Avalon’s customs laws, plant essential oils are classified as plant products rather than alchemical raw materials, and the tariff is only 12%… This is the first batch of goods, worth four hundred White Crowns. I brought fifty White Crown Coins this time, and even if the client doesn’t intend to pay taxes, I can cover the taxes myself…”
He felt wronged at this point.
He thought it was a windfall order. Indeed, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world!
It was rare to encounter a client who didn’t bargain much, paid in advance, and ordered a large quantity of goods, only to discover he was a smuggler…
No wonder he didn’t bargain. It turned out he didn’t need to go through customs.
Avalon’s import tariffs on Star Antimony’s alchemical products were as high as 54%, and even alchemical raw materials were 30%. Basically, goods couldn’t be imported.
If Mr. “Antler” could bypass customs, it meant he not only had ample supply but also his costs were at least half lower than others. This meant that if he could sell them, he could easily monopolize the market.
Augustus was not a stupid person.
He now understood why Antler wanted such a large quantity of goods…
This was likely an investment in himself. After all, if he could produce plant essential oils, he could produce other types of plant-based alchemical raw materials. These were meant to establish a connection with him, and once he ascended to Energy Level Two, he could produce some simple alchemical products and also produce alchemical raw materials and intermediate products in larger quantities… He was actually targeting that part!
Simply put, he wanted money, but Augustus wanted his influence!
Augustus regretted it immensely, “Why did I suddenly have the idea to come and see…”
Indeed, one cannot be greedy…
He didn’t need to come along this time. The reason he came was simple: he wanted to see if such a wealthy patron would need anything else—he might be able to make other things, saving him from buying from others, and he could provide a one-stop solution at a lower price.
If he could secure some business then, he would have enough orders for at least a few years.
But now, just recalling it, Augustus felt a chill of fear.
“Antler” had hired dozens of mercenaries alone.
If he had discovered he was a smuggler and tried to escape, he would probably have been captured and brought back directly…
After all, he had genuinely sold goods and received dirty money. At that time, he would have had leverage over him.
…But it felt like the crisis of life and death had merely shifted from the back to the front. Smuggling cases exceeding two hundred Gold Coins were punishable by death in Star Antimony. He would have been beheaded at least three times.
“Minister Moriarty, judge me kindly!”
The King said with a bitter face, “Whatever you need me to do, I will obey your orders. Whether it’s reporting the former minister or something else, but I can’t go to jail—I still have to support my family! My daughter is waiting for me at home…”
Although Augustus now knew that this unusually young minister and the Princess were acquaintances he had met during his Ascension Ritual.
But at this moment, he didn’t dare to call the other party “Fox” familiarly.
Augustus had a very clear understanding of his status as a prisoner.
—Absolutely do not be presumptuous, and do not think you can gain any advantage. Surviving this situation is already a good outcome.
If this were Star Antimony, he would probably have been dragged to a secret chamber for torture and interrogation by now.
I heard Avalon values law and emphasizes evidence, so he might still be saved… maybe.
Saved my ass!
—All the evidence he could produce was only in his dreams!
