Iweig, Adria.
At noon, by a quiet river in Adria, inside the elegantly decorated Municipal Library, Dorothy sat in a corner of the library overlooking the river. On the small table in front of her was a pile of local books from Iweig collected by the library. Although a library book was open before her, she was not in the mood to read its contents carefully. What she was thinking about was the situation in Tivian far away.
'Based on the intelligence sent by Grego and Adele, the approximate location of that group of North Wu bandits is now clear. That Blackwater Street in Tivian, I didn't expect them to finally choose such a place to hide.'
Sitting in her seat, Dorothy looked at the boats sailing on the river outside the window and couldn't help but think to herself. The fact that those guys were hiding in the South District was not good for her.
'In Tivian, the South District and Sitivian are both areas with poor public security and environment, and are relatively chaotic. Among them, Blackwater Street is the worst. If you don't know Tivian well, you wouldn't choose this place as a hiding spot.
'Being able to find the Coachman Gang to help transport things, and being able to choose the South District as a hiding spot, this doesn't seem like something a group of foreigners who just arrived could do. It seems they must have someone very familiar with Tivian as an advisor by their side? Or a method that is more in line with their characteristics is... directly killing a local Tivian gangster and then summoning his spirits? Hmph... in a sense, Extraordinary of Silence are quite easy to collect intelligence from...'
Dorothy thought to herself, and then she quickly thought of the difficulty she was currently facing, which was that the sudden change of location by this group of bandits had significantly weakened the intelligence power she controlled.
'The police Grego mobilized are all affiliated with East Tivian, and Adele's power base is also mainly in East Tivian. But now these guys have suddenly moved to South Tivian, and Grego and Adele's intelligence capabilities can't keep up for a while. I don't have any local connections in the South District... it will be very difficult to find people there.'
Dorothy thought this, then her gaze shifted from the small boats sailing on the waterway outside the window to the ""wen hai hang zhi"" on the table in front of her. On the opened communication page, Adele's notes were displayed.
Not long ago, Adele ordered her subordinates to enter Blackwater Street to investigate and look for clues about five North Wu foreigners and a kidnapped person, but they found nothing. No one had seen any foreigners enter Blackwater Street recently. Kidnappings are not uncommon here, and no one specifically cares about a particular case. Adele's influence in the South District is not enough for her to uncover the deeper secrets buried in this area.
'Although it is almost confirmed now that this group is in Blackwater Street, Blackwater Street itself is not small, and it is mixed and chaotic, with Dragons and fish. Since those guys chose this place as a hiding spot, it means they realized that their kidnapping might attract official investigation from Tivian. After realizing that someone would investigate them, they would be more careful and cautious than when they first arrived in Tivian. Coupled with Adele's insufficient influence in the South District, this leads to no results being found at all.'
Looking at Adele's handwriting on the ""wen hai hang zhi"", Dorothy analyzed and thought to herself. When this group first came to Tivian, they were not so cautious and concealed, because they planned to raid Boyle, get the Golden Scepter, and immediately withdraw, leaving Tivian quickly, so they didn't need to bother with excessive concealment.
But the strength of Davis's secret room was something these guys did not expect. In desperation, they could only kidnap Nu Nuo Te to obtain the method to open the secret room. But in this case, they had to stay in Tivian for a few more days. After committing such a home robbery, their state would also change from being ignored to being pursued, so it is natural for them to change their previous style and become secretive in their actions.
'It's a bit troublesome now. Now that group of guys are hiding in Blackwater Street, neither Adele nor Grego can find them for a while... Although if I spend time looking carefully, there will definitely be clues, Nu Nuo Te might not last long. I need to come up with some ways to find people as soon as possible.'
Frowning, Dorothy thought with a troubled expression. At this time, she thought to herself how good it would be if she were in Tivian herself. With her own reconnaissance ability, searching a block comprehensively is not a difficult task.
'What I can rely on in Tivian now is mainly the power of Grego and Adele. If I want to find that group of guys, the key is to make good use of their strength.'
Leaning on the chair, Dorothy bit the tip of her pen, thinking with a serious expression. Just as she was about to bite the tip of the pen off, a trace of inspiration suddenly surged into her heart.
...
Prit, Tivian.
In the afternoon, on the street in the South District of Tivian, a rented carriage stopped here after a long journey. The rear door opened, and the leather shoes stepping out landed on the ground covered with black dust. A young man in a suit and tie, looking extraordinary in demeanor, stepped down from the carriage. After getting out and standing firm, he took out some fare from his body and handed it to the coachman. After receiving the fare, the coachman raised his hat and bowed goodbye to the youth, then drove the carriage away quickly.
After watching the carriage leave, Grego, who had changed his appearance to another young man, turned around and looked at the street in front of him. Then, a side of Tivian that had never been shown to him before appeared before his eyes.
Under the gray sky, only three or four-story low and dilapidated houses lined both sides of the road. The dirty walls were covered layer after layer with various small advertisements. On the narrow street edge, which could only accommodate two carriages at most, were two black water ditches flowing with black liquid. The street surface was also covered with a shallow layer of black sewage. This was the product of the industrial area not far away. These industrial wastewaters with problematic discharge measures often leaked onto the streets, greatly affecting the living environment here, and also giving it the name Blackwater Street.
Enduring the pungent smell, which was twice as bad as other places in Tivian, Grego continued to examine the scene in front of him. He saw people covered in dust walking listlessly on both sides of the street, some relying solely on human power to carry heavy goods. At the entrances of the alleys on the street, vigilant gazes were cast out. At the end of the street were tall chimneys, emitting black smoke into the atmosphere.
"It feels... much worse than the lower district of Igwinte. Is this also Tivian?" Grego muttered as he surveyed the surroundings. In the first year after entering the city, he spent it in the lower district of Igwinte, working day and night in factories. He had seen similar places in Igwinte, but the degree of wretchedness in Blackwater Street in front of him was even worse than in Igwinte.
'The good places are better, the bad places are worse... Is this Tivian?'
Recalling the good environment he lived in the North District, Grego sighed in his heart. Then he stopped thinking about anything else and stepped forward, walking towards the depths of Blackwater Street.
Blackwater Street is not just a single street, but a block, and it is a block that is not small in area. It took Grego a considerable amount of time even to briefly walk through it once. By the time he had barely walked through it, it was already approaching dusk.
'This place is really not small. Not only are there many dark alleys and complicated terrain, but there are also a lot of people. It's quite good for hiding and running. If you want to find someone here without any influence, the difficulty will be quite high...
'So, I need to use some means...'
Grego thought to himself. Then he looked at the time on his watch. After confirming the current time, he walked towards the entrance of Blackwater Street, which was where he had just arrived at Blackwater Street. When he reached the entrance, Grego looked around and finally found a carriage painted dark red in a hidden street corner. Beside the carriage were several cargo carriages. The goods on the cargo carriages were covered with tarpaulin, so it was impossible to see what they were. Several people were standing beside the convoy, guarding.
After seeing the carriage, Grego walked straight towards it. The coachman beside the dark red carriage also couldn't help but turn his gaze towards Grego when he saw him.
"Excuse me... Is this the performance carriage?"
"Yes, may I ask who Captain is?"
"I am an actor invited to play... the butler."
"Ah, I see... then please get in the carriage, Captain. Everything you need is inside." After hearing Grego's words, the carriage driver quickly opened the door and invited him in. Grego closed the door immediately after getting in. Then, on the seat of the carriage, he found a neatly folded suit of clothes.
Without hesitation, Grego changed into the clothes inside the carriage. After a while, he was wearing a slim-fitting tailcoat uniform with a bow tie and white gloves. This was a popular outfit for butlers in wealthy upper-class families in Tivian.
After changing into the butler's uniform, Grego turned to the mirror that came with the large carriage. After scrutinizing himself in the mirror a few times, he reached out and rubbed his face. Then, his entire face began to change.
Amidst a series of twists and wiggles, Grego's appearance began to change. His face became older, his skin color deepened, and his body began to grow slightly with the sound of his bones. After a while, Grego's youthful appearance completely disappeared, replaced by an old man with white hair, a tall build, dark skin, and a mustache. That was the image of Nu Nuo Te.
After completing this series of changes, Grego opened the carriage door and got out, speaking directly to the group of people waiting outside the carriage.
"Let's go, everyone. It's time to bestow grace upon the vast poor masses of Blackwater Street. In the name of the Holy Mother, let us help these poor people."
"Yes... Captain."
Beside the carriage, a large group of people who were already ready responded in unison to Grego's words. The people who were originally standing beside the truck reached out and pulled off the canvas covering the truck, revealing trucks full of food and various daily necessities.
...
In Tivian, nobles and the wealthy usually carry out various charitable activities to show their benevolence, donating a lot of money to relieve the downtrodden. This money is usually donated to some charitable organizations and charitable funds, and they use their money to have others do good on their behalf.
However, most of the money donated to charitable organizations usually does not reach the hands of the poor. Either it is deducted layer by layer until only a little is left, or it is returned to the original donors through various channels. As for the money in charitable funds, instead of helping the poor solve their living difficulties, it helps the donors gain greater profits and avoid more taxes.
Therefore, if you really want to do charity in Tivian, it is best to go deep into the lower classes and personally give things to those who need them. Although very few people do this, it is not impossible. For example, there are such people now.
On the streets of Blackwater Street in the South District, a long line of carriages was slowly moving forward. People on both sides of the convoy were shouting slogans on the street, attracting the attention of countless people on Blackwater Street. When the confused people heard what the people beside the carriage were shouting, their confusion immediately turned into joy and surprise.
This was a convoy for on-site charity. The convoy was full of various supplies, from food, clothing, books, and medicines to various household appliances. According to the convoy personnel, these things would be given to the poor in Blackwater Street for free.
At first, most people didn't believe this was a joke, but when they saw that some people were actually receiving things from the convoy, they swarmed forward one by one, surrounding the convoy and waiting excitedly to receive them. For a time, the area around the convoy was full of people, and everyone wanted to get their share of the alms from the convoy.
Word spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred. Soon, the entire Blackwater Street became lively and bustling because of this selfless act of charity. Under the seemingly deliberate guidance of the spread, the entire Blackwater Street quickly learned about the great benefits of this on-site charity. Residents of Blackwater Street kept pouring in from all parts of Blackwater Street, while thanking the Holy Mother, they also sought their own gifts.
There were a lot of poor people who came, but fortunately, the convoy had enough staff, and everyone seemed to be very strong, so order was maintained. According to the convoy's arrangement, the poor were divided into several lines and received the items in order.
And at the center of this charity site, on top of the truck that everyone could see, stood the host of this on-site charity event. The old butler with a foreign face, slightly dark skin, and wearing a uniform was directing on the top of the truck, making the entire charity operation proceed in an orderly manner.
"Don't rush, don't panic! Everyone line up! Everyone will get something. This is the grace given to you by my master. Everyone will be taken care of. Don't push!"
The old butler stood in the most conspicuous position and directed loudly. His position was prominent, and his voice was loud. Everyone who came to the scene would definitely look at him. Under the guidance of the old butler, and with the thanks of countless poor people, this charity activity was proceeding in an orderly manner.
In the bustling crowd, in the center of the convoy, a woman wearing a cloak that concealed her graceful figure stood silently among them.
Adele, who was in disguise, concealed her celebrity status and moved among the poor people who came from all directions, actively using her ability, group after group, actively sensing the desires of the people around her. In her eyes, the most anticipated desires in the hearts of these poor people were known to her. She could passively sense all desires targeting her within a large range, while desires not targeting her needed to be actively sensed and explored in small groups. Only by sensing desires could she control them.
Desire, desire, endless desire... In repeated active releases of her ability to probe, what Adele saw was one piece after another of hopeful and longing hearts, the gratitude of these lower-class people for moments of luck, and their yearning for a better life. Of course, there were also many twisted and strong desires to directly snatch things regardless of the consequences. Adele was also suppressing these strong desires to maintain order at the scene.
As the charity continued, Adele's perception of desires also continued. Finally, when the charity was halfway through, Adele sensed a somewhat discordant desire from a group of people who had just arrived at the scene.
This was a desire for knowledge, a sudden desire for knowledge that arose from emotions of shock, disbelief, and incomprehension. This desire was very strong, which usually represents an urgent desire to obtain the truth of something after extreme confusion and incomprehension about it.
After sensing this desire, Adele, who had been moving through the crowd, couldn't help but stop in place. She shifted her gaze and looked in the direction of this strange desire through the gaps in the crowd. Then what she saw was also a figure wearing a cloak.
That figure was wearing a cloak, with a hood and mask covering their head, which was held high. The eyes under the hood were staring intently into the distance, at the top of the convoy, at the old man who was presiding over the distribution of supplies.
'That... Is that that butler!? That Boyle family's butler? Impossible! How could he be here! Isn't he being tied up by us? When did he escape! How could he suddenly appear here and distribute things?! What the hell is going on?'
Standing in place, the man wearing the hood stared at the old butler on the top of the truck, his eyes radiating with surprise. He had originally just wanted to confirm the cause of the disturbance on Blackwater Street, but he didn't expect to see such a shocking scene. And after this surprise turned into a question, his urgent desire to know the truth was seen through by Adele.
'Oh dear~ It seems like I've found it...'
Standing in the crowd, Adele's bright red lips curved into a smile.