Your grain has arrived, come and collect it!

All that talk from Ethan Thompson was taught by Magnus Valorion. The key point is, after mentioning the 70-30 split, it can indeed create discord among the major families as Victor Blackthorn predicted. Earlier, when Ethan Thompson and his group shot an arrow that hit a man's knee, it temporarily intimidated the crowd. However, there are so many high-quality rice grains here, and if they manage to transport them to Lionheart City, they can exchange them for a lot of silver.

People will die for wealth, just as birds will die for food, and some might resist Ethan Thompson and his group out of desperation. Although Magnus Valorion is not worried about the combat ability of the people he sent out, it is best to avoid bloodshed if possible. After all, Magnus still intends to keep these people to work for him! Therefore, transferring the conflict at this time is the best choice.

When Ethan Thompson told the crowd, "The grains of the three major families will be returned in full after a few days, but for the other families, there will be a 70-30 split," he planted a seed of suspicion among the grain transportation teams of the major families. Coupled with the "appeasement policy" the three major families used on Sinbad last time, all the small families have confirmed that the Blackthorn Family, the Ravenswood Family, and the Hawthorne Family deliberately lured them to raid the grain stores to collude with Sinbad and seize their grains.

As a result, the three major families not only overthrew the mayor Magnus Valorion but also managed to collapse the other small families. Understanding this, the grain transporters of the small families intensified their attacks on the members of the Blackthorn, Ravenswood, and Hawthorne Families. Meanwhile, Ethan Thompson and Neil Thompson easily stole the grains.

In Willowbrook Town, the Blackthorn Family, the Ravenswood Family, and the Hawthorne Family, along with other small families, mortgaged their ancestral estates to Galen Veritas and once again bought all the "remaining" grains from the grain store. As Victor Blackthorn predicted, on the evening they bought the grains, the grain store posted the latest prices - whether at market price or at a discount for military families, it was all five taels of silver per kilogram!

Seeing this, Edmund Blackthorn proudly showed off to the other family leaders. "See, that scum mayor Magnus Valorion truly has no grains left, we've stripped them down to their last!" Walter Ravenswood gave a thumbs up and praised, "Chief Edmund Blackthorn, you truly have divine foresight, as you said, the price of 20 copper coins per kilogram in the morning was indeed a technical adjustment." The seemingly very smart Alaric Hawthorne also excitedly said, "Now they have shot themselves in the foot!" Other family leaders also came to praise Edmund Blackthorn for his far-sightedness.

Magnus Valorion suddenly raised the grain price so high, obviously to give them a surprise. Early the next morning, the grain store was still open as usual. Moreover, the grain price was adjusted from five taels of silver per kilogram last night to ten copper coins per kilogram, half of what it was yesterday morning!

When this price came out, all the family leaders, including Edmund Blackthorn, were stunned! Didn't they strip Magnus Valorion and the grain store of their last bits? Logically, they shouldn't have any grains left! Moreover, since yesterday they had people watching all the city gates of Willowbrook Town to see if there were any grain transport teams coming, but so far, no new grain transport teams had entered Willowbrook Town to deliver grains to the grain store!

Suddenly, a servant from the Blackthorn Family hurriedly came to report, "Bad news, Chief! There's big trouble, the grain store's transport team is here, it's a huge group, lots of people!" Edmund Blackthorn and the other family leaders immediately couldn't sit still and rushed to the scene.

This was the first time the family leaders saw so much grain being transported into the city at once. In the past, Edmund Blackthorn had never seen the grain transport team and had several times thought the grains in the store appeared out of thin air. Seeing the transport team with their own eyes this time, Edmund Blackthorn and the others finally dismissed their once outlandish speculation.

Edmund Blackthorn and the other family leaders observed the transport team among the crowd and for some reason, some felt one of the oxen looked a lot like their own. However, Edmund Blackthorn didn't think much about it, though he did furrow his brow a bit. The pressing issue was that Magnus Valorion had grains again.

Originally, they planned to wait until Magnus couldn't support the soldiers he had recruited, and when the soldiers mutinied, they would seize power! Now, that plan was down the drain! Back home, Edmund Blackthorn told the other family leaders, "Stay calm, everyone!" "Although we didn't bring down Magnus this time, we still profited. The grains we bought at low prices have already been transported to Greenwood City and Lionheart City. We're sure to make a lot of money."

As Edmund Blackthorn was speaking, a middle-aged man with a bandage on his knee, dragging his injured leg, limped in, followed by several other injured family members. These people went to whisper something to their family heads, and the heads of the small families all glared in anger!

"Edmund Blackthorn, Walter Ravenswood, Alaric Hawthorne, you three actually colluded with Sinbad to rob the grains we painstakingly bought!" Hearing their accusations, the three were all stunned. "What's going on? What happened? How could we possibly collude with Sinbad?" Edmund Blackthorn asked, bewildered. The good-natured Walter Ravenswood also asked, "Isn't there some misunderstanding here?"

Finnian, who had an arrow shot in his knee, angrily shouted, "Edmund Blackthorn, Walter Ravenswood, Alaric Hawthorne, stop pretending. This was all part of your plan, wasn't it?" "No way, we..." The bewildered Alaric Hawthorne was about to explain when a shout came from outside the manor, "Members of the Blackthorn Family, I've brought you your grains!" "Chief Edmund Blackthorn, Chief Walter Ravenswood, Chief Alaric Hawthorne, as agreed, the grains of your three families are returned in full, and the other families get a 70-30 split!"

Finnian, who had an arrow shot in his knee, immediately shouted excitedly, "That's the guy who robbed our grains!" In the Great Latium Imperium, colluding with bandits is a serious crime. Although Edmund Blackthorn did intend to rely on Sinbad, he wouldn't dare be so blatant about it!

"Sinbad has become the mayor of Green River Town, how could I collude with him? There must be a misunderstanding. If you don't believe me, come with me outside and see for yourselves."