Chapter 1826 - I Was Just Being Cocky

"No." Mag shook his head. Although he did not know where Irina got the news from, he still explained, "Andre just wanted to pull me over to his side again. After that, he would wage war across the Norland Continent, and build an empire never built before."

Mag was a pacifist. Although to the humans, it was just returning the other races the pain and suffering they had brought the humans in the past, the moment war broke out, there would be no winner, and the ordinary citizens and the vanguards would be the sacrifices.

Irina nodded. She seemed to have expected Mag's answer. "Helena also wanted to talk to me."

That was surprising to Mag. Judging from Helena's character, she would not be one to bow down. It was unexpected that she would take the initiative to look for Irina. "Are you going?"

"Yes." Irina nodded. "I will not agree to any of her conditions unless she repeals the feudal system of the elves, and lets the elves go back to their original state. That is also a condition she would never agree to."

"Then what's there to talk about?"

"I just want to see her hopping mad yet unable to do anything to me." Irina smiled.

"Should I go with you?"

"No need. If you went, she would not dare to come." Irina shook her head.

"If they set up a trap, and were luring you in?"

"I don't think anyone would dare to do anything to me within such a short period of time after you attracted the lightning to strike the octopus monster that day. Otherwise, Andre would not have lowered himself to meet you personally. Helena knows better than anyone else what situation the elves are in right now," Irina said with a smile.

Mag nodded. He knew that Irina was very intelligent, and would not put herself in danger so easily.

"I only knew today that there are quite a lot of young ladies who liked you." Irina looked at Mag with a smile.

"That's not something that I can control. It's just like how some men just can't take their eyes off you." Mag shrugged. He could not be blamed for being too outstanding.

"Jealous?"

"No, I was just being cocky."

***

Irina left after finishing the cup of water. There had been a sharp increase in the number of elves sent to Chaos City by the other races over the past two days, and there were certain things she had to handle personally.

Mag followed closely behind Irina as she left. He first went to the blacksmith store next door to check on Hannah and Mobai's progress.

Hannah, whose face was covered in ash like a dirty little cat's, saw Mag walk in, and her eyes lit up immediately. She went up, and quickly pulled him to the forging table. "Boss, come and take a look. Is there any problem with these parts?"

After failing once, she had already lost all confidence in her design. Now, she just wanted to wait for instructions.

Mobai also stopped working with his hammer, and looked at Mag expectantly.

Mag picked up a few parts on the forging table, and looked at them seriously. He measured them with a ruler and nodded. "Well done. The measurements and materials are right. These parts passed."

"That's great! Our late-night work paid off!" Hannah jumped up elatedly.

Mobai chuckled, and said, "Hehe, Boss Mag, your design was really well-done. I could understand it with one look."

"I just sketched it casually. You praise me too highly," Mag thanked humbly.

After making sure that Mobai could make the parts by following the blueprint, Mag did not stay further in the hot and stuffy forging shop.

The stir-fried octopus tentacles and octopus balls had gained good reviews, so he definitely had to ride on this plan of selling the Great Old Ones that he and the system collaborated on together.

He had to first find a suitable shopfront as the first shop selling the octopus tentacles.

Next, he would have to create a supply chain for the octopus tentacles, from fishing at the Boundless Sea Realm to transportation and sales.

The octopus tentacles provided by the System could be sent straight to the shop, but once his business got big, it would naturally attract some attention, and there might be a problem of explaining the source of his ingredients.

In the face of suspicion, shouting "I, Alex, am not a cheat!" would be useless.

This was a business that required tons in stock. Even if half a kilogram of octopus tentacles were sold at 50 copper coins, the daily sales would still be at least 5,000,000 copper coins.

"A vegetable seller earns more than a cook indeed…" Mag pressed his lips together after doing some mental calculations.

***

The Moreton Manor, in the meeting room.

Jeffree took a sip of tea, and listened expressionlessly to Madam Denise who poured out her discontent as she wept. Cyril and his family of four stood at the side, looking equally bitter, as though they had suffered a grave injustice.

"Master, you have no idea. The moment we stepped out of Chaos City, Gloria acted as though she was the head of the house. Throughout the entire journey, she kept ordering us around. She did not even take me, her grandmother, seriously. Tell me… how can I put up with this injustice?

"If it was like that even for me, our pitiful son, Cyril, and his family had been treated even worse. Although they had been very compliant towards Gloria throughout the entire journey, she had never been nice to them, and they were eating food worse than animal feed. She almost chased them out of the manor…

"Tell me… you said that she was merely an inheritor at the moment, and she was already so callous. If she really became the head of the family, would we still have a place in this family? Master, you have to be our judge," Denise said as she wiped her tears.

"Grandfather, you have to be our judge," Herty and Herny added as they cried. Their eyes, which were stung red by chili, did look the part.

Aviva also wiped her tears at the side, sobbing occasionally to make her presence felt.

Cyril looked down silently, and peeked at Jeffree to watch changes in his expression while he gasped in awe at his mother's acting skills. She was probably the only one in the family who could make up a story, and even recount it as though it'd actually happened while crying.

"Are you done?" Jeffree, who had been silent, asked coldly as he watched Denise wipe her tears away.

Denise was stunned. She felt as though Jeffree had seen through her, and could not help but feel a little guilty. She lowered her voice a little as she said, "Master, I think you have to give it a good thought before making the decision. Cyril was wrong in the past, but he has already learned from his mistakes, and will change for the better. He is after all your son. Only a man can carry the responsibility of this family."

"Is Gloria back?" Jeffree asked the people outside.

"Master, Miss Gloria has just returned to the Manor, and should be resting in her courtyard," Manard said courteously.

"Get her to come over here for a while." Jeffree nodded.

"Yes." Manard turned and left.

"All of you have said so much. It's time to let Gloria tell her side of the story to see if it was really as what you've said.." Jeffree watched the slight change in everyone's expression and scoffed.