Jason tapped a finger against the table as he thought about this. The case seemed far too simple, and if it had been a few months ago, there was a chance Jason would’ve just sent some subordinates to kill the witch and be done with it. This case was similar to the case with Azrael, where Hesbaeht was sent to help out. But with everything that had been happening recently, it was obvious why Ragran thought this case would help Jason to find the white-haired man. Jason looked towards Cersai and spoke.
"You think this might be related to what happened to the Machina?"
Cersai folded his hands as he stared at the hologram while speaking.
"I wouldn’t say that it’s impossible, but I think it’s very unlikely. The two events happened so far away from each other that it might as well just be a simple coincidence. But what I can say is that both of these cases involve using mental manipulation to force people into committing certain acts. If you are looking for leads concerning the Machina, then this might be the place to start."
Jason looked at the hologram on the table once again, and he hummed calmly. Jason knew that Cersai was right. The mental arts were a very special ability, and there weren’t any people in the Primordial Expanse who could carry out a mental manipulation on such a scale. If Jason wanted to find one mental arts user, then he needed to investigate other mental arts users. Even if this witch didn’t know the Mind Art’s user, then at least Jason could get some insight into how mind control worked! Jason finally looked at the three leaders, and he spoke calmly.
"I understand your concerns about this witch, and I believe she might also prove useful to me. But what I am most curious about is why you brought this case before me. I understand there are lives involved, but you don’t exactly strike me as the selfless sort. You seem like someone who only cares about personal interest, so I’m certain there is something else you’re after."
Jason said that last part while looking at Ragran, and Jason was surprised when Ragran’s face actually showed a bit of pride. Ragran was the sort of person who didn’t enjoy beating around the bush, and he liked saying things exactly as they were, so he appreciated Jason coming out and asking such a straightforward question. Ragran nodded and said.
"Yes, you are right. In truth, the incident with the witch has been causing transportation problems for many worlds in this domain, including my home world, Casras. That sector is a shortcut that allows us to move goods from one domain axis to another in less than a month, but for the past few years, the witch has attacked multiple transport groups, and we have been forced to bypass that sector to use a different route that fell under the Machina jurisdiction. This detour has added several months to the time required to transport our goods. We’ve lost billions in gold coins over the past few years, and the previous Overlord Rubik refused to help us mainly because of the taxes and fees we were required to pay to him whenever we passed through his jurisdiction. We are here to ask you, as the Overlord in charge of this domain, to help us get rid of a hurdle affecting the economic state of multiple worlds. Will you help us?"
At this moment, Ragran was already prepared for any number of things to happen. The first time Ragran had brought this problem to Rubik, it had been an absolute failure because Rubik was just too greedy, and Ragran knew that there was a chance that Jason would also be the same. If Jason refused to help them here, Ragran had already prepared deals with multiple interdimensional mercenaries who would take care of the witch. It would cost them billions to hire those mercenaries, but it was their only other option. Right now, Ragran was only bringing this problem to Jason as a test so Ragran could see just what sort of person Jason truly was.
Jason was silent for a few seconds as he thought about this issue. Jason had inherited a lot of knowledge about the Primordial Expanse from the Machina, and from what Jason learned, Jason knew that there were some trade routes going through the Machina’s territory that helped to bring in a significant amount of money every year. It would be foolish for Jason to just remove those fees without thinking of the benefits they could bring for him. But Jason also knew that this was an important crossroads for his relationship with his domain. Jason’s decision here would determine whether the worlds in this domain saw him as a benevolent ruler or a twisted tyrant. For the sake of peace, Jason couldn’t be a tyrant, but at the same time, he couldn’t be foolishly benevolent either. So Jason spoke calmly.
"Very well then. The movement of goods between worlds is very important, so I’ll take responsibility for this problem and remove the witch. In the future, your goods will arrive sooner, and you won’t have to pay the extra fees that Rubik has been imposing on you anymore. I’ll also review the Trade Taxes your worlds have been paying and remove any extra fees Rubik added for his benefit. From now on, you won’t have to pay me anything more than what you’re meant to."
The three leaders were all glad when Jason said that he was going to handle the witch. They all knew just how much money and time they would’ve had to spend if they hired mercenaries to handle it for them, so knowing that Jason was willing to take on the matter by himself was a relief to them! But when Jason spoke about the Trade Taxes that the worlds would have to pay, the leaders all felt their excitement reduce significantly! Trade Taxes were necessary payments each world in a domain paid to their Overlord! These taxes were imposed on every trade deal carried out between the worlds in a domain, and it was one of the highest income streams for both the Overlord and the world they belonged to.
Back before Rubik was replaced by the Slime Alexander, Rubik had used the taxes he collected to help struggling worlds, but after Alexander took over, the worlds were no longer getting support, and they all felt like they were being extorted! Mentioning the Taxes obviously made them wary, but Ragran was the only one there who immediately understood what Jason was trying to do! By bringing up the Taxes that the worlds had to pay, Jason was basically telling them to remember that getting rid of the witch didn’t mean they wouldn’t have to pay any more money. They might no longer have to pay Rubik’s fees, but they still had to pay their Taxes since Jason was not doing this for free! Ragran chuckled as he felt a wave of amusement rising from deep inside him, and he hit his hand on the table!
Slam!
"Very well, Lord Jason! We understand your words, and I can assure you we will not default on our taxes so long as you are able to help us take care of the witch! Show us what our Overlord is capable of, and we will have no complaints about your taxes!"
Ragran always appreciated people who could address things immediately without beating around the bush, and Ragran felt like he and Jason would really get along!