Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 906 - 17 Purse and Hilt_3

Chapter 906: Chapter 17 Purse and Hilt_3 Chapter 906: Chapter 17 Purse and Hilt_3 Leo raised his eyebrows, first puzzled, then burst into uncontrollable laughter once again. His laughter was so intense that he rocked back and forth, leaving Winters also somewhat baffled.

“Mr. Priskin, I initially thought you were just bold,” Leo said, wiping away tears as he shook his head. “Turns out you truly have no fear of death.”

“Why?” Priskin said, a little defiant.

“It’s quite simple.” Leo went straight for the jugular: “The pond in Iron Peak County is too small to play with as you are.”

“But the price of the people’s bonds will keep rising,” Priskin insisted loudly.

“Yes.” Mr. Leo smiled, “But all it takes is one drop for you to lose everything—note, not just you, but your entire family. What’s the point of the bonds rising when you’ve lost everything?”

Priskin fell silent.

...

“In a place as small as Iron Peak County, there are few who can speculate in the market. Once the market starts moving blindly, things will change more rapidly than you can imagine.” Leo advised Priskin kindly: “You can mortgage, not because you have credit, but because your grandfather has credit. You’re just going to drag him down with you.”

Priskin didn’t speak, because at his age, he could not admit defeat. The more direct the criticism, the more defiant he became.

Leo’s smile remained, but he no longer poked at his counterpart, ending the conversation with some bland compliments: “However, bold moves can sometimes yield amazing results. Risk and reward always coexist.”

Winters was also a bit impatient with Priskin’s annoying demeanor.

But while Leo could afford to be a bystander, Winters could not remain indifferent—even out of respect for the elder Priskin.

Winters kicked the table and asked, “Don’t you agree?”

Priskin’s stiff neck slumped, and he tucked his invisible tail between his legs, muttering, “No, no…”

“I know why you sought me out,” Winters picked up his cup.

Priskin shrank a little.

“Your grandfather is wealthy, he fears me who wields a sword, and so do you. Your grandfather thinks you’re pulling a lion’s whisker, so he ordered you to come and admit your mistake,” Winters preferred being direct, “But you certainly don’t think you did anything wrong, right?”

Priskin didn’t answer, but deep down, he felt he was innocent.

Winters said firmly, “I also think you did nothing wrong!”

Priskin was shocked, and even Mr. Leo’s smile paused for a moment.

“Seizing business opportunities and profiting from them is perfectly reasonable. You may have exploited a loophole, but in the end, it’s because I hadn’t set the rules properly—except for price suppression.” Winters’ gaze was piercing, causing Priskin not to dare meet his eyes: “Maliciously suppressing prices to purchase heads is like drinking blood from a warrior’s wound, which infuriates me. If you were under my command, I would have had you hanged already.”

Winters continued, “But it’s not just you who’s buying at suppressed prices, and I never banned trading of heads. Ultimately, it’s my responsibility. I underestimated people’s greed. However, I do not plan to solve problems with a sword, or else I wouldn’t have implemented ‘people’s bonds for heads’. Whether your business strategy is fair, I don’t know, nor do I judge.”

Priskin was dazed by Blood Wolf’s words, just dumbly listening.

“You, and Elder Mr. Priskin, need not fear me. Although I hold a sword, I have no intention of misusing it, believe it or not.” Regardless of whether the other party understood, Winters was ready to send him off: “Go home. I have matters to discuss with Mr. Leo.”

Priskin bowed awkwardly and walked out as if stepping on cotton.

Before he could touch the doorknob, the door was opened from outside, and Anna stood there.

“Oh?” Anna’s surprise only lasted a moment before she quickly composed herself and offered a polite greeting: “Mr. Priskin, good day.”

Having heard the sound of a cup being smashed from the kitchen, Anna rushed back to the residence immediately.

With a quick glance, Anna saw that the cups in front of Winters and Mr. Leo were intact, only the empty seat in front of them had a plate with broken pieces of the cup.

So, it was Mr. Priskin who had smashed the cup, Anna thought with relief.

Priskin stood there frozen, flustered by the renowned she-wolf: “Good day, Lady Montaigne.”

“It’s getting late; please stay for dinner,” Anna invited as a matter of courtesy.

“Okay.” Priskin, with a mind in a haze, replied automatically: “Okay.”

Winters’ temple veins bulged out instantly as he cleared his throat, “Mr. Priskin, are you going to stay for dinner? Huh?”

“No, no, no.” Little Priskin fled in total disarray.

Concerned about the state of Little Priskin, Anna asked Xial to escort him home.

After everything was taken care of, she returned to the living room and said to Winters with slight annoyance, “Why were you so harsh on Mr. Priskin?”

“Me? Harsh?” Winters was the picture of injustice: “That kid is just here to give me a hard time.”

“Adults shouldn’t quarrel with children.”

“Adults? Children? I’m only a few years older than him!” Winters felt even more aggrieved.

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“But,” Anna said earnestly, “your responsibilities are much greater than his.”

Winters’ bristling mane was groomed smooth, and his mood brightened up all at once.

“Alright,” he cheerfully admitted his mistake, “I won’t hold it against him anymore.”

Anna donned her shawl, nodded to Mr. Leo, and then left the living room.

Not long after Anna had left, the door to the bachelor officers’ quarters was opened again. Just the sound of footsteps made Winters’ brow furrow.

“What are you doing?!” Xial’s bellow rang out in the corridor: “Stop!”

The door was yanked open, and Little Priskin’s half body squeezed in forcefully, the other half remained outside—held back by Xial.

“Your Excellency.” Little Priskin shouted hastily, “Did you not say, if I were under your command, you’d have hung me already?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Please let me be under your command.”

…

Old Priskin’s study.

“What did Blood Wolf say?” The old man asked his grandson, his concern evident.

“Grandfather, I think… the Civil Guard Officer…” Little Priskin’s expression was complex, his face flushed red: “Might be even more… than you think.”

“More what?” Old Priskin frowned.

“I can’t quite describe it.” Little Priskin gave up trying to articulate and, gritting his teeth, said: “Anyway, I’m going with Mr. Leo to Maplestone City.”

…

The dining room in the bachelor officers’ quarters.

It was called a dinner party, but it was really a family dinner.

The officers’ quarters had no servants, hence there was no rotation of courses being served. Dishes in the style of Sea Blue were spread directly across the six-person table, just like any ordinary family dinner.

Only Winters, Anna, and Leo were seated at the table.

Catherine should have been present, but Lady Navarre was so shrewd, she wouldn’t attend a dinner that could be awkward.

After all, I can eat just the same in the kitchen—Catherine said so.

“Mr. Leo.” Winters launched his offensive directly, “I wish to propose to Lady Navarre. May I ask if Lady Montaigne will bless us?”