Conquest Sea, Moncarlo.
In the afternoon, on a street somewhere in Moncarlo, vehicles passed by, and people bustled about. A long procession slowly moved forward along the sidewalk of the street, under the gaze of countless people.
Within this procession, there were a large number of local Moncarlo guards, as well as a few Church protectors in standard uniforms. At the head of the procession, in front of several Church knights, Sister Vannia, dressed in a white nun's habit, was slowly walking forward. By Sister Vannia's side was a handsome man in a suit, with neatly combed blonde hair, around twenty to thirty years old. He was accompanying Sister Vannia forward.
Walking at the front of the procession, the Sister in white robes surveyed the surrounding scene with curious eyes. On both sides of the bustling street were two rows of towering buildings with countless billboards hanging on them. These billboards were larger and more exaggerated than the advertisements on the streets of other major cities on the Main Continent. The fonts and colors used were much more eye-catching and vibrant, creating a dazzling illusion when arranged together.
Sister Vannia's gaze swept over the chaotic storefronts on both sides of the street, noticing many high-end luxury stores primarily selling tobacco and alcohol, followed by some bars and hotels. In addition, Sister Vannia could see several casinos openly operating directly facing the main road. Near the casinos, advertisements for brothels were brazenly displayed on the street. The entrances of some large hotels unashamedly displayed large-scale erotic paintings of women, directly and explicitly indicating the special services offered within.
As Sister Vannia's procession moved forward, from time to time, several boldly dressed women could be seen smiling and approaching, ready to promote something, only to be stopped by the guards who rushed over. Some guards clearing the way ahead would hurry to the hotels and businesses displaying large-scale promotional paintings and ask them to temporarily take down the pictures.
As Sister Vannia observed the surrounding scene, when she saw the large-scale promotional paintings she had never seen before, her heart couldn't help but beat a little faster, and her gaze drifted to another direction, no longer looking directly. At this moment, the man beside her said with a hint of apology.
"Excuse me, Sister Vannia, originally, to welcome your arrival, we conducted some city appearance rectification activities throughout the city, but due to the tight schedule, we couldn't attend to some areas. Please forgive the sight."
Listening to the man beside her, Sister Vannia turned her head and responded with a smile.
"No need to apologize, Mr. Lao Lan, no matter what something looks like, I want to see it presented as it truly is. Moncarlo, due to its unique historical reasons, has customs that slightly deviate from the saint church's values. I knew this before I came and have prepared for it. If my visit has caused everyone so much trouble, I believe I should be the one to apologize."
With a humble attitude, Sister Vannia responded to the man beside her, who was called Lao Lan. After listening, Lao Lan smiled and continued to speak.
"I have long heard of your benevolence and generosity, Sister Vannia. Seeing you today, it is indeed true. With the radiance of the Holy Relic you possess, I believe you can illuminate Moncarlo's filth."
"Mr. Lao Lan, you overpraise me. The corruption that exists in Moncarlo is caused by its deep historical factors. This is not something that a simple visit from me can solve. My arrival is merely to give those poor people struggling on the brink of corruption a chance for salvation with the light of the Holy Relic. As for the overall appearance of Moncarlo, I do not expect to achieve a complete transformation in a short time. Even if my arrival this time only affects the current situation of Moncarlo in the slightest, guiding it towards a better direction, I will be satisfied."
In a gentle tone, Sister Vannia continued to speak humbly to Lao Lan. Listening to Sister Vannia's words, Lao Lan couldn't help but feel relieved. Through their interaction just now, he had judged that the Sister in front of him was not some extreme religious fanatic or moral purist; she was someone who could be reasoned with. And as long as they could converse normally, this time, during her pilgrimage and visit to Moncarlo, she would not escalate any conflicts.
"When Moncarlo was first founded, it was a city of pure sin. My father spent half his life gradually transforming Moncarlo into its current state. Although it cannot be called a city of morals, it is a place of refuge for hundreds of thousands of residents. It is truly wonderful that Sister Vannia can empathize with our situation here."
Lao Lan continued to speak to Sister Vannia, and Sister Vannia responded in turn.
"Captain Edward is one of the most influential converts in recent centuries. His achievements..."
Sister Vannia continued to respond to Lao Lan beside her, but at this moment, a sudden commotion came from the front of their procession. Hearing this disturbance, Sister Vannia and Lao Lan, whose conversation was interrupted, looked towards the source of the commotion together. What they saw was several guards gathered in front, jointly holding something down. Sister Vannia could vaguely see struggling arms extending from beneath the gathered guards.
"What happened?"
Looking at the crowd gathered in front, Sister Vannia couldn't help but ask. Soon, a guard ran over from the front and came before Sister Vannia and Lao Lan, reporting.
"Captain, there's a man in front who is acting mad, shouting for help and running towards us. For safety reasons, we have restrained him."
Listening to the guard's report, Lao Lan's brow furrowed slightly, and then he spoke.
"Shouting for help? Hmph... I'm afraid it's another person who took too much medicine and went crazy on the street. Escort him somewhere else."
"Wait, Mr. Lao Lan, since the person is calling for help, why don't we listen to what he's asking for? What if he's genuinely someone in need of help?"
Listening to Mr. Lao Lan's reply, Sister Vannia also spoke up. After hearing Sister Vannia's words, Mr. Lao Lan frowned slightly.
"Sister Vannia, doing this might be dangerous. That person is very likely not genuinely asking for help but is trying to use it as an excuse to approach you... Please do not think too highly of the character of people here..."
"I know that, but as long as there is even a slight possibility that he is genuinely asking for help, I must see him. As for safety matters, please do not worry, Mr. Lao Lan. I have great confidence in my guard knights, and besides, I myself am not a weakling who can't even tie up a chicken."
Sister Vannia said to Lao Lan beside her. Hearing Sister Vannia's words, after a slight pause, Lao Lan didn't say anything further to stop her. Instead, he had the guards escort the person they were holding down forward. Shortly after, a middle-aged man with a panicked expression appeared before Sister Vannia and Lao Lan. The man was slightly startled when he saw Sister Vannia, and then, seemingly unable to control his emotions, he shouted loudly.
"Sister... the Sister in white... you are Sister Vannia! Save me! Please save me! Someone is chasing me!"
The man named Dioro, under the restraint of two guards, shouted excitedly in front of Sister Vannia. Hearing Dioro's words, a hint of surprise flickered slightly between Sister Vannia's brows. Then she continued to ask.
"Please don't panic. No one can harm you here. Can you tell me in detail who is chasing you and why they want to harm you?"
With a gentle tone, Sister Vannia said soothingly to Dioro. After calming himself down slightly, Dioro took a few deep breaths and then continued to speak nervously.
"It's... it's a group of guys like human traffickers. They tricked us into coming to Moncarlo, and then... and then they want to sell and kill us!"
"Human traffickers... Do you know what their specific name is?"
"This... the leader of that human trafficking group calls himself An De, and he wants to sell us to an organization called the Hook Shark Gang. Besides me, there are many others being sold!" Dioro said in horror. Upon hearing the name Hook Shark Gang, the nearby Lao Lan couldn't help but frown, while Sister Vannia's expression turned serious as she continued to ask.
"Where? Where is the location of their transaction? Please tell me immediately, there are many people there who need to be saved!"
...
Moncarlo, in a secluded alley far from the bustling area, inside a small tavern with poor hygiene and a strong smell of smoke, the heated discussion continued. The Food Intestine Society and the Hook Shark Gang had been arguing over the price of blood livestock for dozens of minutes, unable to reach a conclusion. And judging by the current negotiation prospects, it seemed difficult for the two sides to reach a consensus.
Glass, the second-in-command of the Hook Shark Gang, was gradually losing patience with the haggling in front of him. Looking at the talkative and unyielding An De, he finally couldn't suppress the irritation in his heart, so he slammed the table decisively and shouted loudly.
"You trash, don't be ungrateful! Don't forget whose territory you are on right now! Are you refusing face?!"
Following Glass's roar, the Hook Shark Gang members filling the tavern all drew their weapons and pointed them towards An De. In an instant, countless gleaming blades and dark gun barrels were aimed at An De. An De's expression froze upon seeing this, and his entire demeanor couldn't help but soften.
"Ah, oh... Second Master Glass, let's talk this out properly, don't resort to knives and guns, it'll hurt our harmony..."
With a fawning expression, An De said ingratiatingly to Glass. Seeing An De back down, Glass couldn't help but let out a satisfied snort, then continued to speak with an arrogant expression.
"Harmony? Hmph, alright. If you want everyone to end this peacefully, then Mr. An De, stop causing trouble here. I'll make a final offer. For these twelve blood livestock in total, I'll give you fourty-seven thousand Lil. If you accept, the deal is done immediately. If you don't accept, we'll continue negotiating in a way that's a bit less harmonious. You choose?"
Glass said this, and after speaking, he slapped a revolver onto the table with a 'bang'. An De nodded repeatedly upon seeing this.
"Alright, alright, fourty-seven thousand it is, fourty-seven thousand. We won't haggle anymore, this price is quite good."
An De readily agreed to Glass's asking price. Seeing An De's frightened appearance, Glass's satisfaction and comfort increased further. He then gave a look to one of his subordinates beside him. That subordinate quickly took out a briefcase and placed it on the table. When the bag was opened, bundles of banknotes were revealed.
Next, Glass's subordinate took out a portion of the banknotes from the briefcase, counted them once, then zipped up the briefcase and threw it in front of An De. An De quickly opened the bag and counted rapidly, confirming that it contained fourty-seven thousand Lil, which was approximately two thousand two hundred pound.
"Thank you, Second Master Glass. The remaining goods are in the carriage outside and can be inspected at any time."
Holding the briefcase filled with banknotes, An De said to Glass. Glass then lit another rolled cigarette and looked at the pharmacist and other subordinates beside him.
"You guys go with him and inspect the goods."
Hearing Glass's order, the Hook Shark Gang members present put away their weapons and followed An De out of the tavern under the pharmacist's lead. Glass then stayed in the tavern, smoking and waiting for news from outside. After a short while, a subordinate frantically pushed the door open and came in, immediately speaking upon reaching Glass.
"Second Master, there's a problem with the goods!"
"Problem? What problem?"
"Out of the seven goods outside, only six are alive. One of them has already died! It can't be slaughtered on the spot for medicine!" The subordinate reported truthfully to Glass. Glass frowned upon hearing this and stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.
"Alright... so those guys lost more than one. Where's that An De? Bring him in under escort!"
"That An De... he ran away! While we weren't paying attention, he knocked out the brother watching him and took the money and ran!" The subordinate continued to report. Listening to his report, Glass's eyebrows shot up.
"Oh ho... He dares to hit our people, he's got some nerve. It seems if we don't show them some color, they won't know whose territory Moncarlo is! Go chase him quickly! Go find him, and bring him back to me!"
Glass ordered thusly. He wasn't worried at all about An De's escape. The Hook Shark Gang was the local snake of Moncarlo, with influence spread throughout the city. On the island city of Moncarlo, there was no one they couldn't find if they wanted to.
"Yes!"
Following Glass's words, the subordinate immediately went out to relay the order. Just as Glass continued to sit in the tavern, thinking about what kind of local Moncarlo torture he should inflict on the captured An De, a loud commotion suddenly came from outside the tavern, mixed with screams and shouts.
Hearing this sound, Glass couldn't help but frown again, and then impatiently roared loudly.
"What's going on outside now?!"
As if in response to Glass's roar, the tavern door was directly knocked open, and then the subordinate who had just gone out to relay the order stumbled in from outside. At this moment, he was panicking, covered in blood.
"Second Master... outside... someone is attacking!" The blood-covered subordinate staggered to Glass's front, speaking somewhat incoherently. Hearing the subordinate's words, Glass couldn't help but shout.
"Someone is attacking? Who, who is it? Did that An De guy bring people back to stir up trouble?"
"No... it's not... it's the City Guard..."
"The City Guard? Impossible! Captain Kuri's monthly tribute was given in excess, how could the City Guard come over!" Hearing the subordinate's response, Glass immediately slammed the table and stood up from his seat, while the subordinate stammered as he continued to answer.
"It's not... Captain Kuri... leading those City Guards, it's the Tenth Young Master..."
"The Tenth... the Tenth Young Master..."
Listening to the subordinate's words, Glass's originally red and angry face instantly turned deathly pale, and his standing posture collapsed as he slumped back into his seat.
...
At this moment, on a street in Moncarlo, a white-haired girl who was shopping was observing the chaotic scene outside the distant tavern with the bird's-eye view of a bird corpse puppet, while controlling a Corpse Puppet in a carriage elsewhere to pat the briefcase full of banknotes beside it. After licking the sweet ice pop in her hand, she said with a smile.
"This business is quite profitable, not a loss."
...
On the other side, at the Moncarlo port terminal, a new cruise ship was slowly sailing towards its berth. On the deck of the cruise ship, a girl around thirteen or fourteen years old with long, curly gray hair, wearing a bow headband and a simple dress, was leaning on the railing, looking at the city in front of her and couldn't help but say.
"Wow... Is this Moncarlo? It looks completely different from other lively cities..."
The girl exclaimed thusly, and beside her, a small, completely black cat sat upright on the deck, looking at the gradually approaching city with a serious gaze.