Chapter 111: 103. Inspector Knight (2/10)
"āāWife, Iām backāā" "You good-for-nothing, the children are still around!" "Hehe, then weāll wait for nighttime, nighttime!"
"Boss, are we really not going to collect protection money? All that cash is making me envious..." "Idiot, those are workers hired by Lord Viscount himself, you dare make a move, and itāll be your neck thatās heating up!"
"Alas, the price of chicken has gone up again, the chicken farm got blown away last year, no amount of subsidies can make something out of nothing." "Should we raise our prices too?" "How could we? The city hall said they want to stabilize prices..." "Then letās go get subsidies!" "Silly woman, how could a small vendor like us get our hands on subsidies..."
"Today uncle went out to dine with friends, heāll probably come back very late, so itās just the two of us, what do you want to eat?" "I want, berry stew! Brother, it sounds great!" "Donāt use repetitive words, and remember to wash your hands later, donāt use hands that played with ants all day to eat."
"Itās nearly impossible for our workshops in Harrison Port to replicate this new alchemy cannon, its main structure is a pressurizing structure, and the strength of the core components is close to that of a polycrystalline darksteel mithril alloy, it is an entirely new sublimation alloy, we cannot replicate it..." "Then reduce the power and try high-carbon steel, if that doesnāt work, I will apply to Lord Viscount for ten grams of fine gold."
"The natives have been too quiet lately..." "Do you want to start a war or something?" "Thatās not what I mean, Iām afraid theyāre up to some new mischief, it doesnāt feel right to me." "Plant your sugarcane, man. Stuff like that, ah, itās not for us farmers to worry about!"
All kinds of voices.
All kinds of thoughts.
Different standpoints, different mindsets, different classes.
Different choices, different attitudes, different emotions.
Ordinary people can only hear one kind, stick to one kind, think about one kind.
But the Inspectorate Envoy from The Empire, the Auditor from the Imperial Capital, Weyges the Melodious, could hear them all.
"Hmm, Harrison Port has been in a standoff with the natives for many years, and the Grant Familyās rule here is deep-rooted and authoritative, very stable... And theyāve crushed the natives recently, itās likely to be very peaceful for the next ten years."
"However, Harrison Port lacks basic materials, and their food richness also leaves something to be desired, there have even been instances of local officials engaging in corruption, which is quite normal for the Empireās border regions."
"Theyāre actually planning to copy the Empireās latest generation of an alchemy cannon? Although they definitely lack the hard strength, using high-carbon steel, fine gold, and heavy iron alloy could be a way out, it seems that Harrison Portās alchemy level should not be underestimated."
"Theyāve started to promote planting sugarcane... Hmm, the climate in Harrison Port indeed seems quite favorable, thatās also a viable option."
The Knight closed his eyes, yet faint glimmers could be discerned dancing within his eye sockets, as if originating from deep within his skull, his body, and his very soul.
Continuing to listen to the voices that surged back from each āmark,ā Weyges murmured to himself, "Elan and Ian, huh... So those are the names of those two kids? A very ordinary family, this White Folk Spirit Ability User seems mature, looking like heās the head of the household, whereas that uncle, who doesnāt come home at night and goes out drinking, seems more like a freeloader."
"I heard he used to use black mushrooms, but quit in recent years... probably scared for his nephew. Itās likely that the Elder has also ordered him not to have a bad influence on his nephew."
"Thatās not surprising, the family environment of Spirit Energy Users has always been poor."
The Knight mocked himself with a comment and continued to listen intently, paying attention: "Oh? Heās teaching his younger brother math... and heās also memorizing Inscription content, quite diligent indeed."
"Hmm, his life is very structured, very disciplined, very smart... At least in this respect, that definitely counts as a merit. If the Viscount wasnāt boasting, then they really do have a genius here who could enter the Royal Alchemy Academy."
The listening ended.
Weyges opened his eyes, and a light white light ignited within his dark green pupils.
He exhaled a sigh of relief, "Thatās what Iāll write in the report, Harrison Port passes the test."
"The work has ended... And now for the real business."
The Knight stood up, standing atop the rocks, gazing out at the distant sea, the spirit energy light in his eyes gradually fading to show those deep green pupils: "Mentorāāyou must have returned here."
He muttered to himself, "Where on earth are you?"
Late at night.
When Hiliard was ready to return home, he saw a secret signal at the door.
It was a signal he and Ian had agreed on, one that meant to be cautious.
"...Oh?"
Narrowing his eyes and recalling the recent rumors at Harrison Port, the old knight already had a hunch.
He moved silently into the courtyard and found Ian sitting on a log used for chopping wood, practicing the Breathing Guiding Technique.
"Teacher, a Sublimator of the Second Energy Level is using Spirit Energy to monitor us."
Noticing Hiliardās arrival, Ian gently stood up and signaled the old knight to bend down and lower his head, whispering in his ear, "He has Spirit Energy capable of eavesdropping, teacher. You can pretend you are returning from drinking, and any casual excuse will do. We might need to put on a play soon..."
Ian mentioned some of his own methods of dealing with the situation and the script he had thought of earlier, to which Hiliard nodded slightly, "Hmm, good."
He patted Ianās shoulder in approval, "Very good, Ian. If it werenāt for you, I might have been exposed today."
"Eh?"
But Ian was somewhat confused, "Exposed? At most, someone might just think thereās something odd about our family. Will you be coming home later than usual, teacher?"
"Ossenna isnāt exactly known for being family-oriented, so it shouldnāt matter that much, should it?"
"No."
However, Hiliard shook his head and said solemnly, "The one using Spirit Energy to listen in on Elan, I believe, is an acquaintance of mine. If I donāt start acting in advance, I fear Iāll soon be found out."
"The Empireās Inspectorate Envoy... That was his dream, wasnāt it? Now that heās achieved it, I donāt know if thatās good or bad..."
The old knight fell silent for a moment, then sighed lightly, "His coming to Harrison Port is definitely not just to complete the work of The Empireāheās coming after me."
āIs he a friend from the teacherās past, now an enemy...?
Ian pondered thoughtfully. He wasnāt surprised by this.
On the contrary, given his teacherās identity as The Empireās most wanted criminal, it was strange that it took someone two years to follow the scent and come after them.
It seems the other party only has suspicions for now, collecting information while off-duty and not a hundred percent certain that Hiliard is in Harrison Port. They also donāt know whether Hiliard is hiding out in a corner living a hidden life or wandering in the wilderness.
Even with Spirit Energy that easily collects various kinds of information, itās not possible to quickly erase these doubts.
And these doubts will only swell with the passage of time, leading to disappointment.
"In other words, just by dragging it out long enough, with the end of the Inspectorate Envoyās work, heāll leave on his own accord?"
The youth murmured to himself.