Unspeakable bubbles

"That's all."

"Oh?"

Toka said nonchalantly, "Miss Anne just said that it's not easy for outsiders to get along in Saine."

"Your lives are tough too!"

"We are different."

Anne said calmly, "Although we are outsiders, we work for the Earl."

"Because of this, our status is actually higher than that of ordinary citizens."

Toka nodded: "I am not a noble person, but I serve noble people, so I am not an 'ordinary person' either."

"Miss Anne, is that what you mean?"

"..."

“Mr. Toka, if I hadn’t seen what you looked like, I wouldn’t have believed I was talking to a pig-headed man.”

After a pause, Annie said apologetically, "These are my honest thoughts. I'm really sorry if I've upset you."

"Haha, Toka is not a sensitive pig-headed man."

Toka chuckled and said, "If I weren't so thick-skinned, I would have already smashed my head against a wall because of all the vicious insults."

“Miss Anne, it was a very pleasant chat with you. I feel very relaxed.”

“If you speak with such restraint, I will feel uncomfortable.”

“Mr. Toca, you… are truly extraordinary.”

"No, I'm just a pig-headed man fighting for freedom."

.................................. .................................

"Master, Mr. Toka has arrived."

"Oh!"

The little girl who was drinking soup suddenly put down her spoon and stood up in surprise: "Toka!"

"Your Excellency..."

"It's a bubble!"

"..."

The pig-headed man finally revealed a genuine smile: "Bubble, long time no see, we've both changed so much."

"No way, Toca is still Toca, and Bubble is still Bubble."

The little girl walked up to Toka and asked with a smile, "Toka, have you eaten?"

"No, my stomach is rumbling."

Toka patted his big belly, and sure enough, a 'gurgling' sound came from inside.

"Hehe, let's have dinner together."

"I couldn't ask for more, give me two more bowls of rice."

Three bowls of rice, braised eggplant, two roasted chicken wings, and a bowl of vegetable and tofu soup.

Except for two extra bowls of rice, everything else was exactly the same as what the little girl ate.

"Hey, Bubble, are you short of money?"

"Bubble is not short of money anymore, why do you ask that?"

“I’ve heard people say that the nobles of Saen are always extravagant, but your Chinese food looks very ordinary to me.”

Toka ate a bowl of rice in one bite and finished all his food in no time.

"Bubble thinks eating normally is fine."

"But you, Toka, you must be very poor now."

"Huh? How did you know?"

"Because Toka has a huge appetite."

At the little girl's prompting, servants immediately served Toka two dishes, a soup, and three bowls of rice.

"Thank you, could you please give me another bowl of rice?"

Considering the image of the rebels, Toka changed his offhand suggestion of a bucket to a basin.

"Coming right away, please wait a moment."

Toka, who hadn't eaten for several days, finally ate his fill at the little girl's place. After putting down the last bowl, a satisfied look appeared on his face.

"Ah, I finally feel energetic all over again."

"Toka, you're really short of food over there."

The little girl said, "You're the leader of the Elijah people now, and you're starving."

"The rebels now have weapons and territory, but they lack food."

Toka said earnestly, "If all the brothers can eat their fill and fight, I am confident that this war can be ended within three years."

"As for food, there is plenty in the territory."

"...Bubble, would you be willing to help us?"

Toka stared into the little girl's eyes: "It's not as simple as you giving us food and us providing you with tea and spices."

“Once our business is exposed, you will definitely be isolated by the nobles around you.”

"Mr. Toca, you don't need to worry about that."

At that moment, Carmen strode in.

"Toka, let me introduce you."

"He is Carmen, and he will be in charge of the territory and your business from now on."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Carmen."

"I rushed over as soon as I heard that you had arrived, Mr. Toca."

Carmen shook hands with the pig-headed man: "At least you weren't late. I waited until you and the king had finished talking before showing up, haha."

'Your Majesty?'

Toka was puzzled, but remained outwardly calm.

"Lord Carmen, you just said that we don't need to consider the reactions of other nobles?"

"Yes."

"..."

Toka said in a deep voice, "I am very moved that Your Excellency is willing to help the rebels."

"However, it is one thing for the Count to have a relationship with Toca, but it is another matter for Lady Carmen to have her own position."

"If you were considering the Earl's well-being, you shouldn't be so indifferent, should you?"

"Ok?"

Carmen stared in surprise at the pig-headed man, never expecting him to say such a thing.

Section 496, Chapter 495: Characters

“Mr. Toka, is this something a rebel leader should say?”

In Carmen's view, it was rare for a nobleman from the Saen to be willing to make a deal with them, and this pig-headed man should be eagerly agreeing, afraid that they might back out.

Questioning one's own stance—what does that mean?

"Lady Carmen, I am indeed the leader of the rebels."

"But Bubble was Toca's friend long before Toca made a name for himself."

"uh-huh?"

Upon hearing this, Carmen's eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Mr. Toca, is this how I understand it?"

"Do you value your friendship more than the future of the rebels, or even more than feeding your comrades?"

What if I said yes?

"If that's the case, then I regret to inform you that I have to terminate this deal."

Carmen said calmly, "A leader like you who values ​​the individual more than the organization will be defeated by Elijah's superiors sooner or later."

"It's better not to do business with you now than to suffer significant losses at that time."

"Lady Carmen, hunger is unpleasant. But there are some things more important than a full stomach."

The pig-headed man pointed to himself: "If Toka were someone who disregarded friendship for personal gain, then he couldn't have led his starving men to defeat the regular army so decisively."

"They can fight on an empty stomach,"

"If the rebels and Toka lose certain things, they really won't be able to win the battle!"

"..."

"......"

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry, I was just bluffing you about canceling the transaction earlier."

“What the King has decided, no one in Yogtis can overturn.”

Carmen smiled broadly: "Oh, to be honest, the idea of ​​trading with your rebel army using the grain from the Yogites was actually my idea in the first place."

"Although I was the one who made the suggestion, I'm not entirely sure myself!"

"What if Mr. Toka is a greedy and unscrupulous fellow?"