Chapter 172 The Capital of Ten Thousand Capitals
As the vibrations of the wheels gradually slowed as they passed the railroad tracks, the train, trailing a slowly dissipating cloud of smoke, entered Backlund, the capital of the Loen Kingdom.
This most prosperous city in the world has a population of over 5 million. It is the land of hope in the hearts of all the people in the kingdom and is also reluctantly recognized by other countries as the "City of All Capitals".
In comparison, Tingen, where Angel had lived for two months, was simply a small town.
Of course, Tingen City wasn't without its advantages. For example, the air quality in Tingen City was much better than in Backlund...
Angel, wearing a simple long dress and a hooded cloak, was immediately startled by the pungent yellow mist as she stepped out of the train car.
Although she had long seen various social commentaries in the newspapers criticizing Backlund's air quality and even made up a number of jokes to satirize it, the poor environment of this industrial capital still exceeded her wildest imagination.
Even on this semi-open platform, once someone walks more than thirty meters away, they can only make out a faint outline. The gas lamps hanging along the platform have long been lit, but they can only barely dispel the foggy darkness and prevent people from bumping into pillars or walls.
I remember Ms. Kavi from Enmat Port saying she wanted to come to Backlund to retire because the port's environment was too poor and the air was filled with industrial waste. I wonder if she misses her old home now...
After taking a breath of exhaust fumes that were far "better" than those at Enmat Port, Angel silently lit a candle for Kawi's dream life, then left the platform with his suitcase.
At the station, Angel bought a Dipsy pie, a cup of coffee with extra milk, and a copy of the Backlund Daily. He found an empty bench and enjoyed his dinner while browsing the newspaper in the dim light.
She first turned to the last few pages and looked for information on housing rentals in the GG area in the gap.
When she left the headquarters of the Church of Night, Angel received 50 pounds of "activity funds". Apart from the 1.5 pounds she used to buy the train ticket and the 5 pence she used to buy dinner and newspapers, the rest was all her cash.
Even if he added the 1,000 pounds in his anonymous account at Backlund Bank, he would have to carefully plan how to spend it now that he had lost his job. Buying a house in a place like Backlund, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, was impossible. Besides, he didn't know how long he could stay here...
By the way, out of the 1,000 pounds, 350 pounds still needs to be given to Miss Justice. She helped me buy the "full blood of the Black Abyss Demon Fish" required for the promotion of "Witch"... So there are only 650 pounds left.
When she thought of justice, she couldn't help but think of Mr. Fool and Klein, who had become his follower at some point in time.
What hidden secrets does he have? When did he become a follower of the Fool?... Until he left, I knew nothing about him.
Taking a deep breath and stopping her wandering thoughts, Angel took a bite of the grease-covered pie and returned her gaze to the newspaper spread on her lap. The lighting in the station was not bright enough for reading, but it didn't matter to her as she had night vision.
"The Housing Improvement Association will definitely require proof of identification. Not to mention I don't have it right now. Even if I had Angel Granger's ID, I'd probably be visited by the Nighthawks after registering... It's a single-family house on Wells Street in the North District, only two minutes away from St. Samuel's Church. Forget it. I might run into Ms. Daly if I go out, and I'd never have the nerve to see her..."
Looking at the rental information one by one, Angel eliminated those formal agencies that required identification, and eliminated the West Side and Queens where aristocrats and wealthy businessmen gathered and rents were shockingly high. Finally, he chose a location that looked good.
"Backlund Bridge District, two-story townhouse, furnished, six-month minimum lease."
Recalling the map of Backlund she had seen on the platform when she got off the train, she confirmed the approximate location of the house.
The entire area surrounding Backlund's only bridge was known as the Bridge District. It bordered the Tussock River, which ran through the entire city, and was surrounded by the East District and the Dock District, both characterized by high population turnover and extremely poor public security. South of the bridge lay the residential area of the South Bridge District.
There, even if you encounter any danger and need to escape at any time, there are multiple directions to choose from.
Things are different now than when she was in Tingen. She no longer has the status of a member of the official organization.
In order to complete Ms. Arianna's plan, she had to contact other secret organizations in Backlund and even face various arrests and hunts. At that time, convenient transportation and complex environment would be more conducive to escape.
After determining the goal, Angel stopped browsing other G-news and instead ate the pie while browsing other pages of the newspaper to satisfy his information needs after not being exposed to the outside world for a long time.
"The follow-up interview regarding the death of 'Vice Admiral Hurricane' Qilingos... yielded no useful information. As expected, his death was covered up by the relevant authorities. Even the fact that he was a Beyonder wasn't revealed."
"The parliament's proposal to establish a 'Kingdom Air Pollution Investigation Committee'... It's time to take steps to protect the environment. Even the capital, Backlund, has become such a mess, almost catching up to the 'Smog City'. Who knows, one day we might see a smog incident like London..."
Angel's mouth twitched as he tried to smile, then he saw the next piece of news.
"The gas pipeline leak explosion in Tingen has caused 85 deaths and more than 200 injuries. Congressman Maynard, who was giving a campaign speech that day, has been confirmed dead on the spot."
It turns out the official explanation for the arrival of the evil god's offspring was a gas explosion...
She blinked and read the report carefully.
It was seven days after the incident, another Sunday. Since the incident had occurred a week earlier, this report did not detail the circumstances at the time, but only provided a follow-up report on the subsequent casualty statistics.
Interestingly, the report mentioned the survivors' statement that before the gas pipeline under the central park exploded, a woman fired several shots at the scene and threatened to kill people randomly, causing chaos at the scene.
Some people think that this action caused the people in the park to escape from the explosion range, which objectively reduced the number of deaths, but others believe that she was the culprit of the gas leak explosion.
"You have no idea how great a disaster you have escaped..."
Although he scoffed at those who misunderstood him, Angel could understand their feelings. After all, topics like sacrificial ceremonies and the advent of evil gods would never appear in the newspapers. He did behave mentally abnormally in the park, so it was not surprising that people thought he was the creator of the disaster.
If I had ignited a few black flames instead of using a gun, I might have looked more like someone who blew up a gas pipe...
Angel smiled bitterly, and suddenly felt that a small part of the "witch" potion in his body was digested silently.
A disaster before the eyes of the public, a man who caused it, a widespread notoriety...
Angel immediately thought of these key points.
Should we say it's a way to cause death and tragedy... Even the "witches" whose potion names don't reveal any clues can absorb some of the consequences from this behavior?
However, this is consistent with the experience he gained from playing the role of an instigator. Being reported in the newspaper and visible to more people is more helpful in digesting the potion.
Keeping these insights in mind, Angel put away the newspaper, drank the last sip of coffee, threw the paper cup and the paper bag containing the pie into the trash can, and left the station with his luggage.
…
After taking the extensive subway lines to the Backlund Bridge District and then taking a hired carriage, Angel finally arrived at Red Rose Street before it was completely dark.
This is a street facing the river, but this is not an advantage for the nearby residences. The river that runs through the city is full of steamships traveling back and forth day and night, and the river is covered with oil and garbage, and even corpses float up from time to time, so most of the windows on the river side are closed.
It's the same Tussock River, but the one in Tingen is much better than here...
After taking a look at the busy river, Angel knocked on the door of No. 25 Red Rose Street.
This is a three-story single-family house. Half of the first floor is a shop with an old and faded sign that reads "Wallis Grocery Store".
After a few knocks, the side door of the shop opened and a brown-haired woman in an apron, about 30 years old, poked her head out and looked at Angel warily.
"It's closed, what can I do for you?"
Angel lowered his hood, smiled kindly, and said:
"Sorry to bother you, I saw a rental listing in the Backlund Daily. Is there a two-story townhouse for rent here?"
When the woman saw Angel's appearance, she had already let down most of her guard. After hearing what she said, she smiled:
"Yes, please wait a moment."
She closed the door, and then the hurried footsteps left and returned. The brown-haired woman opened the door again and invited Angel in.
Since the shop occupied a large area on the first floor, the actual living room of the house was on the second floor. Angel followed the woman upstairs to the living room decorated with a lively atmosphere and met the real owner of the house, Ms. Wallis.
She was about fifty years old, with a head of black hair streaked with silver. Although it was obvious that she took good care of herself, there were still some wrinkles on her face and the backs of her hands.
"I heard you want to rent my house?"
Ms. Varys asked straight to the point after inviting Angel to sit down.
"Yes, the two-story apartment. I saw it in the newspaper. It's 15 soli per week?"
"Hmm, the minimum lease term is six months. There's no extra charge for furniture, but you'll have to pay for water and gas yourself. The total is..."
"Twenty pounds and five soli."
Angel quickly calculated and replied.
Varys raised his eyebrows and exclaimed:
"You calculate quickly. At least this time the tenant is a cultured person."
"this time?"
Angel asked back curiously.
"Haha, the last person who rented the house was a Feysac man. He was rude and petty, and he disappeared without even moving out. I was worried he'd come back, so I left the house vacant for a month, and I haven't seen him since."
Mrs. Wallis kept complaining about the previous tenant, and then asked the maid to bring the contract that had been prepared long ago.
Angel took a quick look at the contract. It was very formal. Apart from renewing the lease one month in advance and paying the rent, there were no other special requirements.
"By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet. I need to see your ID too."
Mrs. Wallis asked casually as she flipped through the contract and signed her name in several places.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to bring my ID when I came here from Tingen. If you need it, I can ask my family to send it to me." Angel forced a smile and "persuaded" the other party.
"It's okay, I'm just asking. Only people from Sivellas Field like to check other people's IDs all the time."
Listening to Varys' response, Angel smiled slightly and signed his pseudonym on the contract, which would also be the name he would use in Backlund from now on.
Erin Watson.
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