Titan King: Ascension of the Giant-Chapter 576 - 10% share
Of course, this complex mood was built on a foundation of hatred and unwillingness.
The meeting was held in the newly constructed palace.
It was temporarily requisitioned by Prince Theodore; Torin could only move in after the Prince departed.
What followed was the incessant chatter of the nobles, bickering passive-aggressively, and even coming to blows over the distribution of the remaining profits.
Listening to the cheers of the nobles who had gained advantages, Torin's heart felt unusually calm.
However, beneath this calmness lay an anger suppressed to its absolute limit.
In fact, the 10% share allocated to Torin wasn't even his; it belonged to Princess Ava.
What Torin truly obtained was merely a requisitioned palace and the nominal title of Lord of Soaring Bird City.
Of course, from now on, when Torin entered Soaring Bird City, he would no longer suffer the indignity of being taxed.
As a noble of the kingdom, the necessary decorum had to be maintained.
"Your Highness, thank you for your assistance. Torin is eternally grateful."
Once the meeting ended and the interest groups representing the various nobles had left, Torin expressed his "heartfelt" gratitude to Prince Theodore.
"Don't thank me. Thank Princess Ava; she asked me to speak up for you."
"These things are what you deserve!"
"Offer your loyalty to the kingdom, manage this territory of Soaring Bird City well, and that will be the greatest reward for me."
Prince Theodore's words were tactful. By mentioning Princess Ava, he was reminding Torin not to privately usurp the share belonging to her.
"Thank Princess Ava. May beauty and peace always accompany her!"
Prince Theodore nodded and waved Torin away.
Walking out of the palace, the gratitude and joy on Torin's face gradually faded, eventually leaving only a shadow of gloom.
Returning to a courtyard in Soaring Bird City, Mike and Wyatt immediately rushed forward.
"Master, what was the outcome?"
It was Mike who voiced concern for Torin; both he and Wyatt wore faces etched with anxiety and nervousness.
Truthfully, the outcome of the meeting held in the palace concerned the future prospects of the three of them.
"Not bad. Nominally, Soaring Bird City is still my territory."
"Besides the palace, I was also allocated 10% of Soaring Bird City's profits."
"Furthermore, I retained the tax exemption rights for related commerce and trade in Soaring Bird City."
"This place is still ours!"
Honestly, the current outcome was far superior to what Torin had anticipated.
Before this, after Prince Theodore had temporarily taken control of Soaring Bird City, Torin felt he had completely lost ownership of the land beneath his feet.
"Excellent!"
"Master, this means we still have a chance to rise again."
"10% of Soaring Bird City's profits will still amount to a huge fortune."
As one of the pioneers here, Mike knew the situation in Soaring Bird City better than anyone.
Even a 10% share would be a substantial reward.
"In fact, we won't see a single gold coin from those profits of Soaring Bird City."
"That 10% share belongs to Princess Ava."
"What we obtained are the tax exemption rights and the palace."
"However, this is already enough!"
Torin was quite candid as he explained.
He couldn't count on the profits from Soaring Bird City.
But possessing the palace and the tax exemption rights were the two things he absolutely could not lose and needed the most.
"Master, perhaps this current situation is the best we could hope for."
"In the forest, only the beast that hides can survive until the end."
"With tax exemption, there's much we can do."
Wyatt was a slave leader; he understood the hearts of the lowest slaves and the habits of beasts.
"That's what I think too. In the days to come, we must keep a low profile."
"As long as we maintain our cooperative relationship with the giant territory, we can accumulate resources bit by bit."
"Sooner or later, I will reclaim ownership of Soaring Bird City."
Over the recent days, Torin, Mike, and Wyatt had analyzed and discussed their situation at length.
Firstly, they wouldn't undertake any expansion in Soaring Bird City, nor would they encroach upon the interests of the major nobles.
Torin had already decided: until he regained ownership of Soaring Bird City, all his resources and faction would be hidden within the giant territory.
What Torin needed to do was present the image of an honest, well-behaved lord preparing for retirement to the noble interest groups in Soaring Bird City.
This was the best choice; this was Torin's plan.
"Master, do you know how long His Highness the Prince intends to stay here?"
It had to be said, moving into the newly built palace was something Mike and Wyatt were also eagerly anticipating.
"I don't know either!"
Torin shook his head. At the mention of Prince Theodore, his brow furrowed slightly.
"However, there are rumors circulating that Prince Theodore will receive the Giant King and the Ogre Lord here in Soaring Bird City."
"For now, we don't know if the news is true or false!"
Mike and Wyatt had no channels to probe such high-level information; even Torin lacked them.
"Master, since Theodore is still in Soaring Bird City, should we hold back on the caravan matter?"
This was Wyatt's reminder. The so-called caravan was actually a slave group.
Although the Human Kingdom did not prohibit the slave trade, selling human slaves to foreign races was forbidden.
"Let's put it on hold for now. After Theodore leaves Soaring Bird City, you can set out for Stoneheart City."
Wyatt nodded. In such sensitive times, he didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
...
Valkorath Realm, Southern War Zone Frontline.
Thundar, mounted on a dark fiend, led armies of wolf-mounted cavalry, continuously charging laterally into the fungal creatures.
Amidst the howling of wolves, Thundar felt the bloodlust in his heart being unleashed.
Thundar felt exhilarated; feasting on meat, gulping down wine, boldly slaying enemies – this was his current reality.
Charge after charge, the wolf-mounted cavalry slaughtered many fungal creatures, harvesting a considerable amount of life essence.
Nourished by this life essence, not only the giant bloodline warriors but also their icefield snow wolf mounts made significant progress in a short time.
Previously, the vast majority of the wolf-mounted cavalry were still at the Elite level.
After the baptism by fungal creatures, all wolf-mounted cavalry had advanced to Hero level.
The best among the wolf-mounted cavalry were even beginning to push towards the Alpha-level.
"These fellows, their momentum is getting stronger and stronger!"
Dace slew an Alpha-level fungal creature, looked up at the wolf-mounted cavalry that had just charged past, and sighed with emotion.
"Except for losing a batch of elites at the very beginning, they rarely suffer losses now!"
Otho was not far from Dace; he too saw the charge of the wolf-mounted cavalry.
In fact, they were also part of the cavalry regiment. The reason they hadn't joined the charging group was that they needed to band together to specifically hunt Alpha-level fungal creatures.
Only in this way could the strength of the four guards – Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba – rapidly increase.
Of course, improving alongside them were the frost wolves they rode.
