Chapter 248: Suggestion to Cooperate
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Benjamin was surprised, the stare that he used to look at the lady also changed.
This season, not only the mafia boss lean towards the arts, she is also a young girl?
He crossed his arms and stood to the side, silently observing everything that happened in front of him. At the same time, the lady nodded her head to some of the men, the men also acted as though they were servants who just received orders, didn’t say anything and quietly left.
Then, she walked towards Benjamin.
"My name is Jessica, nice to meet you." She extended a hand, grinned and said, "I thought you weren’t planning on coming."
Benjamin raised his eyebrows, and politely shook her hand and said, "The fact that I am here means I have my reasons."
As he said it, he pulled out the invitation from his pocket.
When she saw the invitation, Jessica’s face changed slightly.
After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth and said, "Lord Mage, you are a mage, and can use your identity to get an invitation, why did you have to do this?"
Hearing this, Benjamin was surprised. But he quickly understood, she thought that the stolen invitation was something Benjamin had specially planned to do, that was why she said that.
As he thought about this, he shook his head.
"You can think whatever you want." He said, "I have no other intentions, except to know everything about the invitation’s mage gathering."
Jessica frowned, "You don’t know about the gathering?"
Benjamin raised his hand, "I am not a local mage, and recently left Icor, after a few days only did I managed to enter the city of Rayleigh, and naturally I don’t understand the local mage gathering."
He didn’t intend to cover up anything. After coming here, he used the water element sensing technique to sweep through the place, there weren’t any suspicious characters. And in regards to this "boss" in front of him, she was just a regular person, and she couldn’t threaten Benjamin.
If Benjamin wanted to kill her, it would be the simplest thing in the world.
"I see." He didn’t know why, but Jessica’s gaze looked a little too excited, "About the invitation, I know all these things, but before this, I have a business that makes a steady profit with no losses, I wonder if you are interested?"
A business with a steady profit and no losses?
Benjamin thought this was too coincidental.
Even though his purpose was to clear things up about the gathering, but Jessica’s words piqued his interest.
A woman leading a group of riff raff in reality, would only be able to stay at the city’s middle to lower class, but when faced with a mage, she had no qualms in proposing a transaction.
And so, Benjamin replied. "Say it then."
Then, Jessica took a deep breath and opened her mouth and said, "I don’t know what the situation is like in Icor, but here in Ferelden, the mages are always hidden from the outside world. You can say it this way, I have about a few hundred underlings under my command, and about ten streets that I control. But in reality, a person like me will always be like ants fighting under a person’s eyelids, not having the strength to move a tree."
Benjamin nodded his head and asked, "so?"
"So, I need your help." Jessica suddenly looked up, straight at Benjamin, "Most mages don’t like to get involved in such things, but, since you are able to come here, shows that you are not most mages. If I can get your help, us crows that are always hidden in the dark, might be able to break through, and fly through wider skies."
...Oh?
Hearing this, Benjamin finally understood what she wanted to do.
As the leader of the mafia, she was pretty wild. The fact that she is in this mafia shows that she is powerful, but not satisfied, and wants the power of the mages, to break through the "mafia" view on the cast system, to be able to stand at a higher position.
The thing is...
"It sounds nice and all, but, how would this benefit me?" Benjamin asked.
"I can provide you with more resources." Jessica immediately answered, "The power we have now is limited, and the amount of protection money we collect is not much. But with your help, we can expand, the power that we control will also increase. It doesn’t matter if it is us giving you financial support, or dealing with something you are not comfortable with, we can do it."
As she was talking, she paused, accentuating her tone, and continued on, "Master Mage, my underlings are simple thugs, but thugs have their own uses. Some things, we are the only ones who can do it."
Benjamin frowned, "What you mean is, you want me to hire you as thugs?
Jessica immediately shook her head and said, "No, I prefer that it be called, a friendly collaboration. We are both independent, not interfering with one another, only helping each other out in different situations. Master Mage, I will try my best to ensure that this deal is fair; depending on how much benefit you can give us, we will return you the same amount, you won’t be disappointed."
Hearing this, Benjamin nodded his head thoughtfully.
If this were true, then to them, it is not a bad deal. Thugs may be thugs, only of little power and not worth paying attention to, but if he were to use them, they may be of some mysterious use.
After all, to Benjamin and his people, they have only just entered the city.
Thinking this way, he looked at Jessica, suddenly, doubt bloomed in his mind.
"If you dare to make a deal with me, and if our power is unbalanced, and in the end, you could belong to me?" he asked meaningfully.
"If I am afraid, I will not be standing here." Jessica said calmly, with a laugh, "Even if the crows are destroyed by my hand, it is better than being stuck in a dark corner for the rest of our lives, using elegance to cover up for their low standard, definitely better."
...Oh?
When faced with this monologue, Benjamin changed his impression of Jessica.
To her, she might as well bet everything on the last battle.
This kind of courage, no wonder she was the mafia boss, it was him who looked down on her. In reality, because of this sentence, Benjamin saw potential in this gentle, quiet girl.
A potential that could reach great heights.
And so, he suddenly grinned.
"I’m Benjamin, nice to meet you." He put out his hand, with every intention of shaking her hand and said, "I am interested in your proposal, I hope that we can work together."
Jessica heard this and was stunned, then she let out a brighter smile.
"Let’s work together."
She stuck out her hand, and gripped Benjamin’s hand tightly.
At that moment, Benjamin could feel under the steady smile of the other person, that her hand was shaking so much. In reality, Jessica’s hand was slick with sweat, but he wasn’t sure was it because she was excited for the future of the expansion, or was it because she was worried that this decision was too reckless.