Mark picked up the wine glass, and felt the cool touch on his fingertips. The wine in the glass was clear and had a unique aroma.

He glanced at Monica calmly.

Deep in Monica's wine-red pupils, a subtle identification array silently flowed, and then she nodded slightly to Mark almost imperceptibly.

Alcohol is non-toxic and its energy is pure.

"President Cole, you're too polite. It's just a small misunderstanding, don't mind it."

Mark took a sip. The wine was cool and smooth, with a rich fruity aroma and a hint of sea salt aftertaste. It was indeed a fine wine.

Enzo couldn't hold back any longer and attacked the king crab leg in front of him, which was bigger than his face. He ate it with a smacking sound and mumbled:

"Good wine! Good crabs! Although not as good as your cooking skills, Mark, it's still worthy of the occasion. It's much better than the toast in Osborne Town!"

Cole's smile widened. "As long as your Excellency likes it! Please enjoy! These are the most seasonal and top-quality catches from Anchor Bay."

He clapped his hands, and the waiter brought a plate of beautifully presented oysters, each one plump and juicy, drizzled with a special sauce.

"These are our city's specialty, the 'Moonlight Oysters.' They're fresh, sweet, and tender, and are especially plump this season. Would you please try them and see if they suit your taste?"

Mark picked up one as he was told and was about to take it, but his unique perception of the [Soul Harmonizer] moved slightly.

Beneath the oyster's delicious flavor, there seems to be a very faint and indescribable feeling of astringency.

It was as if its life energy had been deliberately interfered with by something, and was not completely natural and fresh.

This feeling of stagnation was extremely slight, and would have been almost unnoticeable if it weren't for his newly acquired ability to be extremely sensitive to the energy state of the food.

He calmly put the oyster into his mouth.

The meat is indeed sweet and plump, and the sauce is well-mixed. The astringency is almost indistinguishable in taste, more like a slight discomfort at the soul level.

Anna quietly savored the so-called Moonlight Oysters. The elf's elegance and coolness made her appear restrained even when enjoying the delicacy.

Her eyes occasionally swept across the dark sea outside the window, and then fell back on Cole who was chatting and laughing in the hall. There was a hint of instinctive vigilance in the depths of her emerald pupils.

This businessman was too enthusiastic, and her elf instinct told her that the guy in front of her was just performing.

On the other side of the table, Xiao Mu in Monica's arms also swallowed a piece of plump oyster, and his pink body twisted slightly.

Pink eyes turned to the plate of oysters, then looked at Monica questioningly, and uttered a faint "Hmm?"

Monica stroked it gently, soothing it, but a hint of deep thought flashed in her wine-red eyes.

Her identification technique swept over the oysters, and the feedback was [extremely fresh], [contains a weak essence of water element], and [easily addictive if eaten too much].

This was different from the oysters they pried themselves on the beach today.

Although addiction is something that can be ignored for most mid-level and high-level professionals.

Some ascetics even deliberately use addictive substances to train their souls and will.

But knowing that you are eating something and being fed by someone else without your knowledge are two completely different situations.

Monica quietly took an oyster from the plate and handed it to Mark, asking him to put it into the gap between the stars.

She planned to go back and check it carefully at night.

After all, it was not easy for her to use her full strength of identification skills in this banquet hall.

Seeing that everyone had started eating and the atmosphere seemed to have relaxed, Cole began to hint:

"Lord Mark's visit to Anchor Bay is... a routine inspection? Or does the Church of Holy Light have any special instructions? If there is anything I can be of service to, I will do my best to help!"

Mark put down his glass and happily pretended to be a true official member of the Holy Light Church, looking at Cole calmly:

"Sister Ruby's instructions are to inspect the villages and towns along the way, keeping an eye out for heresy and livelihood issues. Anchor Bay City is prosperous and stable, so I imagine the mayor is governing well. So, President Cole, do you have any heresy incidents to report to me?"

He deliberately downplayed the phrase "watch out for heresy" but kept a close eye on Cole's reaction.

To be honest, Mark really couldn't think of any of these local chambers of commerce, except that there might be a chance to get involved with the clergy from the "Holy City" on the subject of "heresy".

What other reason do they have to invite a member of the Holy City Holy Light Church to dinner?

After all, Mark's team represents the Holy Knights, not the College of Cardinals, so they haven't found the right place to bribe in exchange for trading rights!

But if it is really because of heresy or something like that.

Then Mark really needs to have a good talk with the president.

He really didn't want to work overtime for Ruby, but what could he say since there were always people delivering performance reports?

The smile on Cole's face froze for a moment. Although he recovered quickly, the panic that flashed across his eyes did not escape the eyes of Mark and Monica.

"Haha, Your Excellency, you're too kind! We rely entirely on the blessing of the Holy Light and the support of the local governor. Our guild is simply doing our duty and doing some small business to make a living." He lifted his glass to cover up. "The seas have been quite uneasy lately. There are always monsters causing trouble, shipping routes are blocked, and business is difficult."

"Especially for those small local businesses and fishermen. Life is even harder. The harvest is poor, and prices are stagnant... On behalf of all the merchants, I'd like to ask, when will the church send troops to clear the shipping routes?"

Mark tilted his head slightly and asked in confusion, "Hasn't the safety of the waterway always been the responsibility of the various kingdoms? When did the Church send troops to clear it out?"

"Hey! You don't know this... Not all monsters can be dealt with by the Kingdom's soldiers..."

…

West of Anchor Bay City Pier, "Blue Shell" secret warehouse

Far away from the hustle and bustle and lights of Hailan Pavilion, the west area of ​​the pier is dead silent.

The huge "Blue Shell" warehouse is like a giant beast crawling in the shadows, with only a few air vents letting in dim light.

Deep in the warehouse.

A huge translucent water tank made of special glass and metal frame occupies a large area of ​​the space.

The inside of the tank was covered in a shimmering, slippery, translucent slime.

In the tank, a strange creature was slowly moving and breathing.

It looks like a combination of a giant translucent jellyfish and a shell.

The main body is a dreamy lavender, with countless slender tentacles shimmering with light hanging from the edge of the umbrella, floating gently with the water flow.

Below the center of the umbrella cap, what grows out is not the oral arms of a jellyfish, but a soft structure that slowly opens and closes like a clam shell.

Every time it opens and closes, an extremely faint, almost invisible lavender mist is discharged into the circulating water flow.

This is a juvenile mirage monster.

Several guards wearing "Blue Shell" whaling team uniforms and with slightly dull eyes patrolled the warehouse mechanically.

Their skin also seemed to have an extremely faint, unhealthy purple sheen in the dim light.