Chapter 423 Blank City
Grandet knew that Aiwas was very busy, so after the conversation he politely took his leave.
Objectively speaking, Grandet's existence helped Aiwas solve many problems.
Gray Green clearly knew a little about Grandet's background. And the troublesome and cunning display of Aiwass during his negotiations with the "Gold Coin Man" prevented her from testing Aiwass again. This saved both parties time and energy.
Unlike Grandet's large order that involves the country's core policy level, Ms. Gray-Green's request is very simple.
She simply hoped that Aiwass could serve as the new president of Lloyd's of London to stabilize the Avalon businessmen who were beginning to become restless.
——Lloyd's is a merchant association whose members are all merchants, and merchants have no loyalty at all.
When they have confirmed that Lloyd's is being targeted by senior management, those businessmen will abandon Lloyd's without hesitation.
But that doesn't mean they won't gather again. They'll simply form a new merchant alliance with a different group at its core... perhaps with a new name, like the "High-rise Club" or the "Prince Club."
Maybe it will happen openly, but more likely it will happen in secret.
But in essence, these organizations are all the same. Different small groups will inevitably try to compete for the right to speak, which will bring instability and change to the environment. To be fair, businessmen who already have resources will definitely hope for as much stability as possible.
At this time, if Edwards, as the Minister without Portfolio, could become the President of Lloyd's, it would undoubtedly send a very friendly signal to these businessmen: the Round Table may not want Lloyd's to be dissolved, but just want to intervene and get a share of the pie.
The logic of all businessmen is the same: they are not afraid of bargaining or asking for too much; they are just afraid that you don't want to talk at all.
Aiwass had already joined Lloyd's, and the Moriarty family had been in business for generations, with his adoptive father, James Moriarty, a senior executive at Lloyd's. He was undoubtedly the best choice.
This is not a bad thing for Aiwass.
Instead of letting those mice gather together and cause trouble in a corner where you can't see them, it's better to keep them safely in front of you.
With Gray Green as his agent, Aiwass can finally exert influence on the gangs in Lloyd's District.
For these gangs living in the mud, the decrees issued by the high and mighty Round Table are basically useless. If you don't want to kill them all like the "Hanging King" Tudor III, you have to rely on channels recognized by these gangs to control them.
Beyond that, they have another great use for Aiwass.
If possible, Aiwass even wanted to help the Gray-Green expand its influence. If possible, it would be best to directly unify the underground gangs across the country.
——When Grandet sends his "engineering team" to Avalon to build the railway, these gang members will be useful.
Locals know their own business, and locals have their own rules. Building a railway would be a long-term boon for all of Avalon, and allowing the troll construction crew to come and work for free wouldn't be harmful, but it wouldn't necessarily be without hostility and resistance from the local population.
After all, the trolls were too ugly, and Avalon was too conservative. Residents of some remote towns didn't understand the significance of the railway, and building it would inevitably pass through many residential areas, requiring Avalon to purchase much of the land and houses—a sum Grandet certainly wouldn't pay.
If anyone were to realize the railway's necessity to Avalon at this point, some malicious individuals would inevitably raise the price, extort additional benefits, or even orchestrate an entire village to repeatedly raise the price, or even accept bribes from the Star Antimony Iris people to destroy the railway. This kind of situation was not something Avalon could easily resolve directly with official personnel.
In the past, these violent acts were handled by the Supervisory Bureau. However, because of this, many people are very afraid of the Supervisory Bureau and have strong hostility towards the Supervisory Bureau.
Whether it was interference, protection, or surveillance, these gang members were far more effective than the Inspectorate. Information spread much faster than through official channels, and many matters that Aiwass and Isabel couldn't handle could be handled by Ms. Gray-Green.
If she had a way to clean up her crimes, it would give local gang members a chance to start a new life. In Avalon, which was about to have many legal jobs, this was a very useful pie.
Gray Green was a smart person. Without Aiwass's repeated explanation, she could quickly understand what she needed to do and what she could gain from it.
When two smart people avoid the trouble of testing each other, efficiency will become very high. When Aiwass and Huilu finished their conversation, it was not even noon yet.
After that, Aiwass returned to the Temple of Silver and Tin to rest for a while, took a shower and changed into new clothes.
Although his wound had healed, there was still blood on the collar of his shirt. If Isabel saw it, she might get worried, so it would be better not to tell her about it.
After changing his clothes, Aiwass went straight to Isabel's bedroom to wait for her return. They arrived almost at the same time, and when Aiwass's hair was still slightly damp, Ligeia hurried in with Isabel.
"Long time no see, my Queen. Have some hot tea first."
Aiwass looked up and spoke softly.
It was not yet lunchtime, and he was methodically drinking his warm black tea. Seeing Isabel, still in her formal attire, come in, he poured two cups for Isabel and Ligeia as well.
This tea is infused with a hint of ginger, a generous amount of sugar, and bergamot essential oil, blessed by Aiwass himself. It's more like a potion than a cup of tea. Just drinking it is enough to restore some energy.
Lily took the low-filled glass teapot from Aiwass and went to replace the tea.
Isabel didn't drink her tea. After taking off her crown, she sat down across from Aiwass, somewhat disregarding her appearance. She slumped over the table, her arms folded, as if she were taking a break during class.
"How does it taste, Ligeia?"
Aiwass watched Ligeia, who was standing at about the same height as him, finish her tea in one gulp and said jokingly, "Would you like some milk?"
Ligeia said casually, "I'd like to add some beer, if that's okay."
"Why not try it? It might taste good."
Aiwass encouraged Ligeia: "Add some orange and ginger, and cook it with beer, or red wine; or add some mint and ice cubes to beer and black tea. I think it might taste good."
"You're right," Ligeia said, seeming genuinely moved. "I'll try it later—will you drink it when I make it?"
“It’s not impossible.”
Aiwass smiled and said, "Go prepare some drinks, and we'll take Her Majesty the Queen along. Her Majesty looks quite tired, perfect for a quick drink and a sweet nap."
"If Your Majesty wants to drink it, I'll have to be more conservative with the ingredients I prepare... Lily, come and help me!"
Ligeia said with a smile, shaking her head and leaving Isabel's bedroom, leaving Aiwass and Isabel with a private space to talk alone.
Aiwass looked at her back as she hurriedly left with Lily, and shook his head slightly.
Sometimes, Aiwass was not sure whether Ligeia's emotional intelligence was high or low.
Looking at Isabel, who lay motionless on the table, as if asleep, Aiwass reached out and gently touched her head. He felt the warm and soft hair brushing against his fingertips like smoke, but Isabel didn't react at all.
"Thank you for your hard work, Isabel."
Aiwass looked at Isabel, who lay quietly on the table as if dead, and gently shook her shoulders. Then he said softly, "Be obedient. Drink your tea first... and then go change your clothes."
“…Evans.”
Isabel's muffled voice came from her arms: "This is the first time since I was born that I've been allowed to leave Glass Island."
"I know." Aiwass said softly.
"I thought I would be excited..."
Isabel said this and raised her head. She covered her face with her hands and supported her forehead.
She didn't cry, but she looked exhausted. Not from lack of sleep or overwork, but from the immense pressure she felt for the first time.
Aiwass handed over the tea, and Isabel finally put down her hand and took the tea.
She drank the tea in the cup, which was no longer hot, in two gulps and felt a little better.
Isabel put the empty cup back on the tray and suddenly asked, "Have you ever been anywhere other than the Glass Island, Aiwass?"
Aiwass said calmly: "You know, I just got back."
"Yes. Shylock has been there, Meg... Lady Ligeia has been there too, and the teacher is a world traveler... But none of you told me that places outside the Glass Island are actually like this..."
Isabel's words suddenly paused.
"desolate?"
Aiwass tried to spell out the word for her: "Barbaric? Backward? Poor?"
"--【blank】."
Isabel kept shaking her head, but then suddenly blurted out.
This is a metaphor that is unique to her.
(End of this chapter)
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