Chapter 245 Intelligence from the Human World
The chips piled on the gambling table are getting higher and higher, and the demons who were originally staying out of the matter are also forced to get involved in this gambling game. At this time, an inconspicuous boat approaches the Port of Saldo.
Standing on the bow of the ship, Lumil looked at the Sardo Port, his eyebrows knitted together like the knots on a sailboat.
More than a month ago, on the orders of the Demon King, he drove the ship that carried the dreams of the residents of Thunder City out of the Whirlpool Sea and headed towards the west of the vast vast ocean to explore the territory of the Colin family that did not exist.
This more than a month of wind and sun not only tanned his skin, but also forced him from a young man who had only sailed a fishing boat to an experienced captain.
Just as he was groping for the secrets of navigation and heading towards deep waters, he suddenly received an order from the Demon King in a routine regular communication, asking him to pay a visit to Port Sardo to learn about the situation there.
Honestly speaking, he was not actually on the right path.
However, out of loyalty to the Demon King, he changed direction without hesitation.
As the distant port came into view, his frown deepened and he couldn't help but grin.
"It seems that the situation here is worse than expected."
There are still traces of scorch on the dilapidated pier, and the warehouses at the port were almost razed to the ground by the war.
Several rickety broken ships parked on the shore, like beached whales, lingering in decay.
As for the wreckage that sank under the harbor, there is no telling how many.
As stated in the letter, the entire port had been destroyed by the war, and it was almost impossible for larger ships to dock before the ocean currents washed away the sunken ships near the port.
It just so happened that his big ship couldn't get ashore either.
After all, there are ghouls on the ship, and the perfume used to conceal the identity of the ghouls is limited.
Put down the monocular telescope in his hand, Lumil called to the two corpses beside him.
"Push harder and move faster!"
The ghoul sailor responded in silence, but obviously sped up the rowing action, urging the boat to sail towards the port.
The boat slowly approached the port.
Lumir tied the rope to the wooden pile of the pier, and at the same time looked at the imperial guards walking towards him in the distance.
The man with a ragged beard was carrying a musket and yelled at him.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"As you can see, I am the captain of the ship behind you,"
Lumiel raised his chin towards the silhouette of the ship behind him, then raised his thumb, and a silver coin unknowingly bounced into the hand of the imperial guard.
"Can I replenish some supplies? I don't have enough fresh water on the boat. Let's leave as soon as we buy the things."
Hand caught the silver coins and stuffed them into his pockets. The guard immediately beamed with joy, but still scolded him seriously.
"Be more honest at the port! Don't cause trouble for me!"
After saying that, he waved his hand to let him go.
Lumil took off his hat and nodded in greeting, then led two rowing corpse servants ashore, passed through the pedestrians in twos and twos, and walked towards the tavern on the edge of the port.
There is currently only one tavern still open in the entire port, and its crumbling signboard and blackened door seem to tell the story of its past.
Lumir walked straight forward and gently opened the door.
Although it is daytime, there are still many idle people gathered in the tavern.
"A glass of rum and two glasses of water to toast my friend."
Walking to the bar, he looked at the bartender sitting behind him and threw a silver coin on the table.
The taciturn bartender nodded, took out a bottle of slightly old rum, and poured him a glass.
Lumir picked up the wine glass and shook it, motioning to his partner to sit aside, looking at the lobby of the tavern casually.
There are merchants, sailors, and citizens who have survived the disaster gathered here, but most of them are soldiers of the empire.
Because they had just experienced a victory, these soldiers had excited expressions on their faces and spoke unabashedly about their "glorious achievements."
Lumir remembered the Demon King's instructions, so he calmly took out a video crystal and placed it gently next to the wine glass.
At this moment, the entire Saldo Port was immersed in the miraculous epic victory, and their vigilance was extremely low, and no one noticed his movements at all.
Time passed by, Lumir waited patiently, and finally a rough laughter came from the corner of the tavern.
"Hahaha, let me tell you, the battle that day was not so much the result of General Hamelton's godly use of troops as it was the miracle of Lord Saint Sith!"
Lumir looked slightly sideways and realized that the person speaking was a young imperial soldier.
He was wearing a standard leather armor with the coat of arms of the Griffin Knights printed on it, making him look like a knight's retinue.
This guy drank a lot of wine during the day, and he was probably on vacation. I saw him banging the table while talking about the details of the battlefield with his companions next to him.
"Who is that guy?" Lumir raised his eyebrows with interest and looked at the bartender behind the bar.
The bartender glanced at the tip on the table, put it in his arms silently, and said in a casual tone.
“Master Caldwell’s retinue, his name seems to be Jimmy or Coolmi, his wine is very bad, and his mouth is not good... Only when Master Caldwell is next to him, this guy is more honest.” I always thought——"
"He?" the bartender glanced at the yelling young man and curled his lips and said, "He is just a handyman who feeds the gryphons, and the stories he tells are all picked out from others... But I have to say, this guy is an honest guy, and he doesn't lie."
lumil nodded and said with an expression of admiration on his face.
"General Hamelton is indeed amazing... I took a look at the northern mountains when I came in from the port, and I simply couldn't imagine how he snatched that dangerous fortress back from the hands of hell."
The bartender's mouth curled up with pride.
"That's not true, let alone you. Those of us who have lived in Porto Saldo for half our lives feel the same way. The cannons of hell are set above our heads. This time it will definitely be over. The end of the world is nothing like this. But sometimes you have to Letter, Saint Sith is watching us."
"Why do you always say Saint Sith?" Lumil took a sip of the rum in the glass and looked at the bartender behind the bar. "In my opinion, it is obvious that General Hamelton is a god in his military skills."
“So you don’t understand anything,” the bartender curled his lips and said with a smile, “Even General Hamelton himself admitted that he was ready to die for his country that day, but the gods were on his side, and the Griffin Knights quietly approached the artillery emplacement of Hell——”
"That's right, man! Without the help of gods, it's simply unreasonable!"
A playful voice suddenly came from behind Lumil, and a hand was placed on his shoulder, which made his nerves tense, and he couldn't help but hold the short gun stuck in his waist.
However, the smell of alcohol that followed made him relax his guard. A drunken face came in front of him, and he sat down on the high stool next to him.
"I was there that day. If you are interested, I can talk to you... Of course, you have to buy me a drink."
Lumir grinned and threw a few silver coins on the table.
"Let him drink until he vomits, and it's mine... To the defenders of Port Sardo,"
The drunkard's eyes lit up and he gave him a thumbs up.
"Brother, that's interesting! But I am the reinforcement of St. Ilburg, haha, you are paying homage to the wrong person."
Lumir said with a smile.
"We are all subjects of the empire, there is no difference."
Taking the wine glass handed by the bartender, the Imperial soldier from St. Ilburg took a sip and burped.
"Your accent is not like the locals."
Lumir said with a smile.
"Are there any locals here besides you?"
The drunken soldier scratched the back of his head and nodded.
"That's right."
Looking at the half-drunk and half-awakened imperial soldiers, Lumil introduced himself.
"I'm from the Principality of Campbell."
The imperial soldier looked at him curiously and asked.
"Where is that?"
"The southern part of the Lion Kingdom, the northeastern coast of the Whirlpool Sea, the place known as the Land of Knights." Lumir continued with a smile, "I came to the New World for business, but now... I think I should bring your stories back."
The imperial soldier’s eyes lit up, he laughed, patted him on the shoulder and said.
"Then I have to talk to you carefully..."
As he drank one glass after another of strong drinks, the imperial soldier also opened his chatterbox and told what happened that day from the perspective of a frontline private.
A handyman of the Griffin Knights and a private on the front line. The two people's statements just verified each other and basically restored the situation that morning.
Lumir's index finger tapped lightly on the bar, gradually guiding the drunkard's thoughts in the direction he expected.
"In other words... the victory that day was entirely because the Griffin Knights broke through the artillery position on the Hell side without any hindrance? And the Hell side seemed to be blind, and the defenses that were supposed to be deployed around the artillery position were completely ineffective?"
The drunken Imperial soldier was stunned and stared at him suspiciously.
"Man, why are you asking so carefully?"
Lumir smiled calmly and said softly.
"Actually, this matter is really weird. Our superiors don't let us talk about it, because it's like...it's not Saint Sith who helped us, but the devil who helped us."
Lumir looked at him in surprise and quickly lowered his voice.
The imperial soldier only hesitated for two seconds, and finally opened the conversation under the influence of alcohol, speaking regardless.
“Forget it, it’s not something that can’t be said anyway… In fact, when our Griffin Knights rushed to the high ground, we discovered that not only was the high ground undefended, but the goblins seemed to be cursed with blindness and weakness, otherwise those little guys running around wouldn’t be there. No one can escape. Don't you think it's strange? It's like the enemy has tied up his hands and feet and sent him to be killed." Lumir's heart twitched, and he suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and lowered his voice.
"This... sounds really strange. Curse is not the power of the Holy Light."
"Really? Don't say it's you, we think so too." The imperial soldier sighed and continued, "We captured some prisoners, but those guys didn't know anything. They even thought it was us who did it. That's why we found it strange. Although the holy light can also blind, he The ones among them are obviously undead magic...Did the men in the Griffin Knights steal the tricks of hell? But this can't be said randomly. Let's just treat it as an accident. Anyway, we won in the end."
Lumir asked in surprise.
"Those goblins are still alive?"
The imperial soldier nodded and said drunkenly.
"Yes, it's a prison by the port. We kill all the common demons, but hard currency like goblins or night elves are still worth keeping."
Lumir asked with interest.
"What are you going to do with them?"
The imperial soldier said with a smile.
"What else can we do? The people from Xuebang are leaving some for experiments, saying they want to pull out the blueprints of the magic crystal cannon from their heads, but I think they are dreaming. As for the rest, they are probably sold to nearby mines or farms to work on, and that's all those guys are used for."
Lumir clinked glasses with him, took a sip of the fragrant liquor, and casually asked.
"I happen to have a farm in Thunder City. Do these goblins work hard?"
The imperial soldier smiled and cursed.
"These lazy guys are so stupid that they will be lazy if they don't pay attention, but coal mining is okay... What, are you interested?"
Lumir came closer and said.
"To be honest, I'm really interested."
The imperial soldier chuckled.
"Then you've found the right person. I'm familiar with the guard there. How many do you need?"
Lumiel pretended to hesitate for a moment and said.
"Two, I want to buy two first to try and see if they work. If they work well, I will buy some when I pass by here on my way back. They are soldiers of hell after all, I'm afraid there will be problems if there are too many."
"If there is any problem with the goblins, just give them a few lashes with the whip. You are too cowardly."
Seeing that he only bought two, the imperial soldier showed a regretful expression, sighed and continued.
He gently placed a gold coin on the table, "Don't worry, no matter how much I buy, your benefits will be indispensable... I think we can cooperate for a long time."
Seeing the gold coin placed on the table, the imperial soldier's eyes straightened, and he couldn't help but swallow.
That’s 10,000 copper coins!
Equivalent to two months of his salary!
"Brother... I'm committed to being your friend! I'll give you these two goblins! Where do you want to pick up the goods?" His voice trembled with excitement, and looking at the man who looked like a captain in front of him was like seeing a gold mine.
Lumir thought for a moment and said.
"I'm here to replenish fresh water. I'm afraid I won't be able to stay here for too long. I have to leave before dusk tomorrow. Do you have any good suggestions?"
The imperial soldier nodded quickly and said with joy.
"No problem! Before the sun goes down, I'll wait for you at the lumberyard to the west of the city. There is a small ditch there that leads directly to the sea. You can park the sampan there first!"
The two dead goblins were not noticed at all, and besides, they were things that were meant to be disposed of.
However, this is his own business after all, and he still wants to hide it from others so that other people don't get caught up in it.
Just as it happened, Lumil sitting next to him was also the same, hoping to solve this matter quietly.
Him will then build a teleportation array on the shore. Once the two goblins are obtained, he will transfer them to the Demon King.
You don’t even have to get it on the boat!
Looking at the right hand stretched out in front of him, Lumil smiled and took it, shaking it vigorously.
"So it's a pleasure to cooperate."
Video plus witness.
I think these things should be enough to help the Demon King!
…
Just when Lumil was planning to send the survivors and videos of Port Saldo back to hell, Luo Yan, who was far away in the Magic City, also learned from the Padrich family that the Ministry of Truth had launched an investigation into the front line.
Although Mr. Festin did not take the initiative to help him with anything, he still gave him a lot of help in terms of intelligence.
In fact, the Dragon family planned to take action against him, and it was the Padrich family that first warned him in advance.
Demon King Management Department.
At the debriefing meeting.
Facing the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Luo Yan gave a brief report, describing the current situation of the Thunder County Labyrinth and the Campbell Principality near the labyrinth.
To put it simply, the corrosion of the necropolis is spreading further, and more and more people are unknowingly becoming the accomplices of the devil. While they are constantly losing their faith, the grassroots society is being transformed into a piece of loose sand.
Generally speaking, the "people" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are very satisfied with Luo Yan.
Even, his step-by-step infiltration method provided inspiration to many demons present.
One of the demons who was observing was even a distinguished professor at Demon King Academy.
Although this professor had never taught Luo Yan before, he admired his strategy of "promoting social change and thus shaking the legitimacy of Saint Sith's rule." He even invited him to give lectures at the school to share his experience in stirring up trouble with his fellow students.
Corrupting humans is a compulsory course for every demon who has received higher education, and not only demon kings can use it.
Hence Luo Yan readily agreed to the request from the professor at his alma mater, but everything had to wait until he finished the things at hand.
Perhaps because everyone here knows about the recent overt and covert fight between him and the Dragon family, these officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs sitting at the report meeting are particularly talkative. Even the routine inquiry session to find a sense of presence has turned into a commendation meeting, with only nice words to say.
The reason why these guys did this was, on the one hand, to take into account the face of the Padridge family, and on the other hand, they were also afraid that Luo Yan would misunderstand him as belonging to the Dragon family. In the end, they did not benefit from it at all, but instead received a beating inexplicably.
There are many cunning officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The most typical one is the deputy director of the Demon King Management Department, dear Senior Green.
After the debriefing meeting, he found Luo Yan, took advantage of the fact that no one was around and patted the junior student's shoulder gently, saying with a heart-warming smile on his face.
"I have worked hard to prepare for the meeting. It has been difficult recently."
Hearing the obvious politeness, Luo Yan also smiled and said politely.
"Fortunately, so-so, this little thing is nothing to me... I'm talking about meeting preparations."
"I know," Deputy Director Green smiled and retracted his hand, giving Luo Yan a reliable look, "No matter what, our Demon King Management Department will always be your strong backing, remember to come to me if you encounter trouble."
Luo Yan smiled when he heard this.
It's okay to find you...
You can only run faster than a rabbit.
But he didn't want to offend anyone, so he still said it to save face.
"I will."
The two continued to chat for a few words, and after Green said all the good things he could think of, he left in a hurry.
This slippery man does not want to take any risks. He not only wants to show his respect for his old classmates, but is also afraid that his old classmates will lose power and be implicated.
But Luo Yan didn't want to argue with him.
Little people also have the helplessness of little people. Although this guy is the deputy director, the real power in his hands is not even as good as Miss Padridge, who has just graduated less than a year ago. He does not even have the opportunity to participate in the game.
Leaving the corridor of the conference room, Luo Yan was about to visit Pastor Jeffrey. When he walked around the corner, he saw Mia waiting there.
This guy rarely raised his chin and laughed "hehehehe", nor did he talk about "the devil of miscellaneous fish". Instead, he looked at him with a worried look on his face.
"You...really don't mind?"
Hunting for Luo Yan to answer, she bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and continued in a low voice.
see Mia who was still worried about herself, Luo Yan’s heart could not help but feel warm; he smiled gently and said teasingly.
"It's okay, it's just a few fish demons, can they still eat me?"
Hearing that Luo Yan used the name she usually used in reverse, Mia's cheeks suddenly turned red and she glared at him angrily, her tail slightly raised in anger.
「都什么时候了你还有心思开玩笑。」
罗炎莞尔一笑道。
"It's ten minutes past five, and there are still twenty minutes before you get off work."
"I didn't ask you the time!"
Mia complained angrily.
Being interrupted by this sudden complaint, her complicated emotions that had been brewing for a long time suddenly disappeared, and even a trace of uneasiness in her heart was easily resolved by this guy.
But——
This is not what she wants.
The air was silent for a while. Mia coughed slightly, lowered her head, and spoke in a low voice.
br/> "I, my father said... I shouldn't have asked you to dance in such a high-profile manner at the birthday party that day. I originally wanted to help you, but I didn't expect it had the opposite effect..."
Speaking of this, she bit her lip slightly, with a little guilt on her face.
At that time, she simply wanted to use her identity to help Luo Yan gain some voice in the aristocratic circle. However, she too took it for granted that the protection of the Padrich family was enough to silence all opponents, but she did not expect that this would directly cause the Dragon family to break up and push the conflict into a deeper whirlpool.
In her father's words——
The reason why the Dragon family became so aggressive after that was partly because of her.
Though it might have been an unintentional remark that my father blurted out because he was annoyed by her hard work.
But she remembered it, and she has always been worried about it until now.
Luo Yan looked at her remorseful look and felt heartbroken but couldn't help but want to laugh.
That’s it?
If he had to say that the dance brought him any trouble, it was probably because he was forcefully dragged by Vivian and walked around the street for a whole day afterwards... But to say that it was "trouble" would be too far-fetched.
He smiled softly and nodded gracefully.
"How could it be? It's my honor to dance with the beautiful Miss Mia."
"But..." Mia's lips moved, and her eyes were misty as she blamed herself.
Luo Yan looked at her seriously.
"I don't agree with you blaming yourself for this. It's like saying that the victim is also guilty. Can you understand what I mean?"
Mia was stunned.
"This matter has nothing to do with you from the beginning. It is entirely a problem of the Dragon family." Luo Yan continued, "They want to kill me. No matter what you do, this matter will not change. The only difference is that it will be sooner or later."
"But...I..."
Luo Yan sighed softly, raised his finger, and lightly poked her forehead.
"Furthermore, even if I knew what might happen after this in advance, I would still take your hand at that time."
He knew from the beginning that things would develop like this.
Mia's face suddenly turned red, as if being swallowed up by flames, and even the tips of her ears glowed crimson.
She opened her mouth and hesitated for a long time before stammering out a complete sentence:
"...You, why are you suddenly saying this?!"
Luo Yan smiled, with a bit of teasing in his eyes.
"Because you ask me, and I naturally have to give you an answer."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, gently rubbed the pink hair, and said softly: "My answer is - the Dragon family is not important to me at all, and I don't care what they think."
"Dancing with you, for me at that time, was the most important thing."