Chapter 26: Last Words?

The negotiations went more smoothly than expected. By noon, Miss Vilyric and her companion had walked out of the base, accompanied by the bangs that were temporarily lent to them.

Of course, to avoid trouble, the “Cognitive Obstruction Mask” was definitely put back on, and Vilyric had to exert quite a bit of effort to get the bangs to barely understand that she was the same person before and after putting on the mask.

“By the way, how are we going to find someone? Does your Ghost Thieves guild have any secret contact points in the city or something?”

The bangs glanced at Vilyric while carrying a large sword. Although still showing her disdain probably due to past grievances, she obediently spoke up.

“There used to be similar things, but it’s obvious that after that incident, the Ghost Thieves must have either closed them or moved to a more hidden location. You probably wouldn’t find anything at the old places, and you might just end up like a foolish bird flying into a trap.”

“Who are you calling a foolish bird?”

Miss Giant Dragon turned her head with an unfriendly expression, but her master chuckled and raised a hand to stop her.

After being teased a bit, Vilyric wasn’t annoyed; she wasn’t childish enough to argue with someone like bangs over trivial matters, as long as the other party could do their job properly.

“That makes sense. So you mean there’s another way?”

“Yeah, the contact points must be abandoned by now, but we can look for someone directly; we can only say it’s worth a try. After all, I haven’t contacted her for a long time… Also, don’t say ‘your Ghost Thieves’ next time. I don’t have much to do with that bunch of scum anymore.”

“Alright, alright, if you say so ~”

Bangs led Vilyric and the little dragon daughter to wander around the city, quickly entering an area that resembled a slum.

Slum structures are inevitable in any medieval feudal society, especially with an aristocratic system. The existence of nobility symbolizes the gap between rich and poor; even if the country itself hasn’t set up such regions, as cities evolve, the poor gather in areas with lower land prices, and slums naturally appear.

Here was no different.

Dilapidated wooden shanties, shabby dirt walls, and cheap patched-up clothes hanging from coat racks at the entrances reflected the economic decline brought on by the city’s lockdown. It was especially evident here, except for the children who still wore smiles while chasing after dirty toys. The adults idling at home wore expressions of distress.

Especially when the noble-looking Miss Priestess in her clean, snowy white robes passed by, they cast envious, jealous, or resentful gazes filled with negative emotions.

Clearly, they were unfortunate souls who had temporarily lost their jobs and income due to the turbulent situation.

Even if she hadn’t intentionally dressed up, Vilyric’s pristine priestess robe was enough to symbolize wealth in their eyes.

And resentment towards the rich was a psychological response that most poor people couldn’t avoid.

Noticing that Vilyric was also observing the poverty-stricken people, bangs clicked her tongue and walked on without looking back.

“What? Surprised that there’s a place like this in Demon Town?”

“Hmm?”

The priestess, who was curiously looking around, paused for a moment, then realized that this person probably thought of their group as some sort of noble travel party.

Well, that made sense. Aside from the obviously high-quality robe and noble demeanor, the way Vilyric had pretended to be willful and daring, as if she feared nothing, could easily lead others to think she was one of those pampered noble ladies with a rich background.

Not bothering to correct this notion, Vilyric simply held the tender, delicate hand of her little dragon daughter and nodded casually.

“It’s quite unexpected. At least in the City of Courage, I rarely see places as impoverished as this, even though most villages and towns are in much better condition.”

“Oh, so you’re from the royal capital. No wonder… I don’t know much about other cities, but there are certainly more than the one you see now in Demon Town’s slum areas.”

After hesitating for a while, bangs finally turned her head slightly without looking back, whispering.

“Do you know why the profession of poacher came about? … No one willingly becomes a criminal for no reason. Most end up this way because they can’t afford food, have no warm clothes, and are driven to a dead end.”

“As far as I know, more than eighty percent of the poachers in Demon Town have come from slums. Most of them are orphans, with no one to rely on, and having endured too much cruelty in their upbringing, they shift that unfairness and malice onto others, like magical beasts.”

Seemingly afraid of being misunderstood, bangs slightly turned her head and glanced back at the two beautiful young girls behind her, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“I know this because I was once one of them. And I’m telling you this not to justify the poachers… The leader is my benefactor who rescued me from a wrong path. He believes in you, so I am willing to believe as well.”

“I’m not sure what you intend to do, but I just want to tell you that the poachers themselves are indeed unforgivable, but they are not the root of this city’s evils. It’s those above who gather wealth, forcing everyone to desperation, and the distorted prejudices of this city and country that truly nurture evil. If you genuinely have the power to change the situation, please never forget this point.”

Vilyric raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Your words sound strange, almost like an epitaph.”

“Hmph…”

Though her expression turned slightly displeased, bangs surprisingly didn’t refute her. Instead, she simply turned back, facing forward.

“I just wanted to clearly state what needs to be said in advance. So if a battle breaks out, there will be no burdens or regrets, after all, the Ghost Thieves are always mysterious, and many high-level pieces of information are things even I, an insider, am not clear about. Who can say for sure what will happen?”

“But don’t worry, since Captain Lester entrusted you to me, if something really happens, even if I have to lose my little life, I will do my utmost to ensure your safe escape.”

“Oh? Hmm, then I’ll leave it to you, little warrior.”

Someone pretended to be deeply moved, putting on a show, but bangs didn’t respond, leaving the priestess feeling somewhat bored, as she had intended to tease her further.

Continuing through the slum, the three of them finally stopped in front of a wooden house that looked no different from the other houses.

“This is it. For a while, don’t speak or do anything extra. Just stand quietly and listen, got it?”

Vilyric didn’t respond immediately but curiously looked a few times at the closed shabby wooden door since her perception indicated that the small house should be empty, with no one inside.

Bangs stepped forward and knocked.

Not the kind of haphazard knocking, but rather in a specific rhythm — not very strict or noticeable, but still caught the attention of Vilyric, who was deliberately discerning.

After knocking for a considerable time without any response from inside, bangs seemed somewhat puzzled, yet undeterred, continuing to knock in that peculiar faint rhythm.

The slum was already sparsely populated, and the wooden house where Vilyric and the others stood was almost at the innermost part of the area. Even if they fumbled around at the door like thieves for so long, no curious passersby came to ask questions, which was quite convenient.

After a good two minutes, the faint sounds of hurried footsteps, accompanied by the very faint sound of wood creaking, finally reached the ears of the priestess.

   

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