Chapter 245 Intelligence from the Human World

The chips piled on the gambling table were getting higher and higher, and the demons who had been staying out of the game were forced to get involved. At this moment, an inconspicuous small boat approached the port of Saldo.

Standing at the bow, Lumière looked out at the port of Sardo, his eyebrows twisted into a knot like a knot on a sailboat.

More than a month ago, at the order of the Demon King, he drove the ship carrying the dreams of the residents of Thunder City out of the Whirlpool Sea and headed towards the vast western Ocean to explore the non-existent territory of the Colin family.

The wind and sun over the past month not only tanned his skin, but also turned him from a young man who had only driven a fishing boat into an experienced captain.

Just as he was trying to figure out the tricks of sailing and heading towards deep waters, he suddenly received an order from the Demon King during a routine communication, asking him to stop by the port of Saldo to find out about the situation there.

To be honest, he wasn't really on the way.

However, out of loyalty to the Demon King, he changed direction without hesitation.

As the port in the distance came into his sight, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and he couldn't help but grin.

"It seems that the situation here is worse than expected."

There were still traces of burning on the ruined dock, and the warehouses at the port were almost razed to the ground by the war.

A few rickety old ships lay on the shore, like stranded whales, struggling to survive in decay.

And it is still unknown how much wreckage is sunk beneath the harbor.

As described in the letter, the entire port had been destroyed by war, and larger ships could hardly reach the shore before the ocean currents washed away the sunken ships near the port.

It just so happened that his big ship couldn't go ashore.

After all, the ship is full of zombies, and the perfumes used to conceal their identities are limited.

Putting down the monocular telescope in his hand, Lumir called out to the two zombies beside him.

"Try harder, move faster!"

The corpse sailor remained silent, but obviously quickened his rowing movements, urging the boat to head towards the port.

The boat slowly approached the harbor.

Lumire tied the rope to the wooden stakes of the dock and looked at the imperial guards walking towards him in the distance.

The man with a ragged beard, carrying a musket on his back, shouted at him.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"As you can see, I am the captain of the ship behind you,"

Lumir nodded his chin towards the shadow of the ship behind him, then raised his thumb, and a silver coin popped into the hand of the imperial guard without anyone noticing.

"Can I get some supplies? I'm running low on fresh water on my boat. We'll leave after buying some."

The guard caught the silver coin and put it in his pocket. His face instantly lit up with joy, but he still gave a serious rebuke.

"Behave yourself at the port! Don't cause any trouble for me!"

After saying that, he waved his hand and signaled to let them go.

Lumir took off his hat and nodded in greeting, then went ashore with two zombie servants who were rowing the boat, walked through the groups of people, and headed towards the tavern by the harbor.

Currently, there is only one tavern still in business in the entire port. Its shaky signboard and blackened door seem to tell the stories it has experienced.

Lumire walked straight forward and gently pushed the door open.

Although it is daytime now, there are still many people with nothing to do gathered in the pub.

"A glass of rum and two glasses of water for my friend."

Walking up to the bar, he looked at the bartender sitting behind him and casually threw a silver coin on the table.

The taciturn bartender nodded, took out a bottle of slightly stale rum, and poured him a glass.

Lumir picked up his wine glass and shook it, motioning his companion to sit nearby, his eyes casually looking around the lobby of the tavern.

Gathered here were merchants, sailors, and citizens who had survived the disaster, but most of them were soldiers of the empire.

Because they had just experienced a victory, the soldiers had excited expressions on their faces and talked openly about their "glorious achievements".

Lumire remembered the Demon Lord's instructions, so he calmly took out a video crystal and gently placed it next to the wine glass.

At this moment, the entire Port of Saldo was immersed in the miraculous epic victory. The vigilance was relaxed to the extreme and no one noticed his movements at all.

Time passed minute by minute, and Lumir waited patiently. Finally, a rough laugh came from the corner of the tavern.

"Hahaha, let me tell you, the battle that day was not so much a result of General Hamelton's divine use of troops, but rather a miracle brought down by Lord Saint Sis!"

Lumire glanced sideways and found that the person who spoke was a young imperial soldier.

He was wearing a standard leather armor with the emblem of the Order of the Griffin printed on it, and looked like a knight's squire.

This guy had drunk a lot of wine in the daytime, probably because he was on vacation. He was seen slapping the table while talking about the details of the battlefield with his companions.

"Who is that guy?" Lumir raised his eyebrows with interest and looked at the bartender behind the bar.

The bartender glanced at the tip on the table, put it silently into his arms, and spoke in a chatty tone.

"Master Cardwell's henchman, his name seems to be Jimmy or Kumi, he has a terrible drinking habit and a loose mouth... He is only honest when Master Cardwell is around."

"Did the entourage also go to the battlefield?" Lumier looked at him in surprise, "I always thought--"

"Him?" The bartender glanced at the yelling young man and curled his lips and said, "He is just a griffin feeder. The stories he told were all picked up from others... But I have to say that this guy is an honest guy and he didn't lie."

Lumire nodded and said with an admiring expression on his face.

"General Hamelton is truly remarkable... When I came in from the port, I took a look at the mountains in the north and could not imagine how he managed to snatch that important fortress back from the hands of hell."

The bartender's lips curled up with pride.

"No, not to mention you. We who have lived in Port Saldo for half our lives feel the same way. The cannons of hell are overhead. We are doomed this time. This is the end of the world. But sometimes you have to believe that Saint Sith is watching us."

"Why do you keep talking about Saint Sith?" Lumire took a sip of the rum in his glass and looked at the bartender behind the bar. "In my opinion, it is obviously General Hamelton who is a master of military strategy."

"So you don't understand anything," the bartender curled his lips and laughed, "Even General Hamelton himself admitted that he was ready to die for his country that day, but the gods stood on his side, and the Griffin Knights quietly approached the artillery position of Hell--"

"That's right, man! It would be unacceptable if there was no divine help!"

A playful laugh suddenly came from behind Lumir, and a hand was placed on his shoulder, which made him nervous and he couldn't help but hold the pistol at his waist.

However, the smell of alcohol made him relax his guard. A drunken face came in front of him and sat down on the high stool next to him.

"I was there that day. If you're interested, I can tell you about it... Of course, you have to buy me a drink first."

Lumire grinned and threw a few silver coins on the table.

"Let him drink until he vomits, it's my fault... Cheers to the defenders of Port Saldo,"

The drunkard's eyes lit up and he gave him a thumbs up.

"Brother, that's very nice! But I'm the reinforcement of Saint Ilburg, haha, you've got the wrong person to pay respect to."

Lumire said with a smile.

"We are all citizens of the Empire, there is no difference."

Taking the wine glass handed over by the bartender, the imperial soldier from St. Ilburg took a sip, burped and said.

"Your accent doesn't sound like a local."

Lumier laughed.

"Are there any locals here besides you?"

The drunken soldier scratched the back of his head and nodded.

"That's true."

Looking at the half-drunk and half-awake imperial soldier, Lumire introduced himself.

"I am from the Duchy of Campbell."

The imperial soldier looked at him curiously and asked.

"Where is that?"

"It's in the south of the Kingdom of Ryan, on the northeastern shore of the Whirlpool Sea, in a place called the Hometown of Knights." Lumier continued with a smile, "I came to the New World to do business, but now... I think I should bring your stories back."

The imperial soldier's eyes lit up, he laughed, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Then I have to talk to you carefully..."

As he drank glass after glass of liquor, the imperial soldier began to talk, recounting what happened that day from the perspective of a private on the front line.

A errand boy of the Griffin Knights and a private soldier on the front line, the two people's statements verified each other and basically restored the situation that morning.

Lumir's index finger tapped the bar lightly, gradually guiding the drunk's thoughts in the direction he desired.

"In other words... the victory that day was entirely due to the Griffin Knights breaking through the artillery positions of the Hell side without any hindrance? And the Hell side was like blind, and the defenses that should have been deployed around the artillery positions were completely ineffective?"

The drunk imperial soldier was stunned and stared at him suspiciously.

"Hey, man, why are you asking so much?"

Lumire smiled calmly and spoke softly.

"Because it's really weird, isn't it? If I don't ask clearly, my fellow countrymen back home will definitely think I'm bragging."

“That’s true…”

The imperial soldier grunted, looked around, and then lowered his voice and spoke.

"Actually, this matter is really strange. Our superiors don't allow us to talk about it because it's like... it's not Saint Sith who helped us, but the devil who lent us a hand."

Lumire looked at him in surprise and quickly lowered his voice.

"This is not something you should talk about casually."

Having said that, he put his ear close and lowered his body very low - that cooperative behavior was clearly urging this loudmouthed guy to continue talking without restraint.

The imperial soldier hesitated for only two seconds, but finally, under the influence of alcohol, he opened up and spoke regardless.

"Forget it, it's nothing to be ashamed of... Actually, when our Griffin Knights rushed to the high ground, we found that not only was the high ground undefended, but the goblins seemed to have been cursed with blindness and weakness, otherwise those little guys running around wouldn't have been unable to escape. Don't you think it's strange? I find it very strange, as if the enemy had tied up their own hands and feet and sent them to us to kill."

Lumir's heart twitched, he suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and spoke in a low voice.

"This... sounds really weird. Curse is not the power of Holy Light."

"Really? Not just you, we felt the same way." The imperial soldier sighed and continued, "We captured some prisoners, but those guys knew nothing and even thought it was us who did it. That's why we found it strange. Although holy light can also cause blindness, the magic they used is obviously necromancy magic... Did the masters of the Griffin Knights steal some tricks from Hell? But we can't say this casually. Anyway, let's just treat it as an accident. In the end, we won."

Lumiel asked in surprise.

"Are there any goblins still alive?"

The Imperial soldier nodded and spoke drunkenly.

"Yes, they are imprisoned in the prison near the port. We kill most demons, but hard currency like goblins and night elves are still valuable to keep."

Lumire asked with interest.

"What are you going to do with them?"

The Imperial soldier said with a smile.

"What else can we do with them? The people from Xuebang took some away for experiments, saying they wanted to get the blueprints of the magic crystal cannon out of their heads, but I think they are dreaming. As for the rest, I guess they will be sold to nearby mines or farms to do work. That's all the use they have."

Lumire clinked glasses with him, took a sip of the aromatic liquor, and asked casually.

"I happen to own a farm in Thunder City. Are these goblins hardworking?"

The Imperial soldier cursed with a smile.

"These lazy fellows are so stupid that they slack off the moment they are not paying attention. However, they are still good at coal mining... What, are you interested?"

Lumire said as he came closer.

"To be honest, I am quite interested."

The imperial soldier chuckled.

"Then you have found the right person. I am very familiar with the guards there. How much do you need?"

Lumir pretended to hesitate for a moment and then spoke.

"Two, I want to buy two to try and see if they work. If they do, I'll buy some more when I pass by here on my way back. They are soldiers of Hell after all, and I'm afraid there might be problems if I buy too many."

"What's the problem with a goblin? Just whip him twice. You are too cowardly."

Seeing that he only bought two, the imperial soldier showed a regretful expression, sighed and continued.

"...and those guys won't survive until next month. They'll be long gone by the time you return."

"I'm a businessman, not a gambler. I have to consider the risks before I consider the benefits." Lumier shook his head and gently placed a gold coin on the table. "Don't worry, no matter how much I buy, you will benefit from it... I think we can cooperate for a long time."

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Seeing the gold coins on the table, the imperial soldier's eyes widened and he couldn't help swallowing.

That's 10,000 copper coins! It's equivalent to his two months' salary! "Brother... I've made friends with you! I'll give you these two goblins! Where do you want to pick them up?" His voice trembled with excitement. He looked at the captain-like man in front of him as if he had seen a gold mine.

Lumier said after thinking for a moment.

"I'm here to refill my water tank. I'm afraid I can't stay here for too long. I have to leave before dusk tomorrow. Do you have any good suggestions?"

The imperial soldier nodded quickly and said with a smile on his face.

"No problem! I'll wait for you at the lumberyard west of the city before the sun sets. There's a small ditch leading directly to the sea. You can park the sampan there first!"

No one paid any attention to the two dead goblins, and they were already intended to be disposed of.

But this was his own business after all, so he still wanted to conceal it from others so as not to be criticized by others.

Coincidentally, Lumir, who was sitting next to him, had the same wish and hoped to resolve the matter quietly.

After that, he would build a teleportation array on the shore, and as soon as he got the two goblins, he would send them to the Demon King.

We don't even have to get it on the boat! Looking at the right hand stretched out in front of him, Lumier smiled and grasped it, shaking it vigorously.

"Then it's a pleasure to work with you."

Video footage plus witness testimony.

I believe these things should be enough to help the Demon King!

…

Just as Lumir was planning to send the survivors and videos of Port Saldo back to hell, Luo Yan, who was far away in the Magic City, also learned from the Padrich family that the Ministry of Truth had launched an investigation into the front line.

Although Mr. Festing did not take the initiative to help him do anything, he still provided him with considerable help in terms of intelligence.

In fact, it was the Padrich family who first warned him of the Dragun family's plan to attack him.

Demon King Management Department.

At the performance review meeting.

Facing the officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Luo Yan made a brief report, describing the latest situation of the Leiming County maze and the Principality of Campbell near the maze.

To put it simply, the corruption of the cemetery is spreading further, and more and more people are becoming the devil's accomplices without knowing it. While they are constantly losing their faith, the grassroots society is becoming more and more fragmented, from a solid block of solid ground to a pile of loose sand.

In general, the "insiders" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are still very satisfied with Luo Yan.

Even his gradual infiltration method provided inspiration to many demons present.

One of the demons attending the class is even a specially appointed professor at the Demon King Academy.

Although the professor had never taught Luo Yan before, he admired his strategy of "promoting social change to shake the legitimacy of the Saint-Fascist rule" and even invited him to give lectures at the school to share his experience in fanning the flames with his younger classmates.

Corrupting humans is a required course for every demon who has received higher education, not just the Demon King.

Luo Yan naturally agreed to the request from the professor of his alma mater, but everything had to wait until he finished the things at hand.

Perhaps because everyone present knew about the recent open and covert struggles between him and the Dragun family, the Ministry of Internal Affairs officials sitting in the briefing were particularly easy to talk to. Even the routine inquiry session to make their presence known was turned into a commendation meeting, with only nice things to say.

The reason why these guys did this was, on the one hand, to take into account Miss Padridge's face, and on the other hand, they were afraid that Luo Yan would misunderstand them as being from the Dragun family. In the end, they did not get any benefits at all, but were beaten for no reason.

There are quite a few cunning officials among the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The most typical example is the deputy director of the Demon King Management Department, dear senior Green.

After the performance review meeting, he found Luo Yan, and when no one was around, he gently patted the junior on the shoulder and said with a heartwarming smile on his face.

"Thank you for your hard work in preparing for the meeting. It must have been a tough time recently."

Hearing the obvious courtesy, Luo Yan also smiled and said something polite.

"It's okay, just so-so. This little thing is nothing to me... I'm talking about the preparations for the meeting."

"I know," Deputy Director Green smiled and retracted his hand, giving Luo Yan a trusting look, "No matter what, our Demon King Management Department will always be your strong backing. Remember to look for me if you encounter any trouble."

Luo Yan smiled when he heard that.

I'm still looking for you...

I'm afraid you can run faster than a rabbit.

But he didn't need to offend anyone, so he still spoke to give him face.

"I will."

The two continued to chat for a few more sentences. After Green said all the nice things he could think of, he hurried away.

This sly guy doesn't want to take any risk at all. He wants to show his respect for his old classmate, but he's also afraid of being implicated if his old classmate loses power.

But Luo Yan didn't want to argue with him.

Small people also have their own helplessness. Although this guy is the deputy director, the real power in his hands is not even as much as Miss Padridge, who has just graduated for less than a year. He doesn't even have the opportunity to participate in the game.

After leaving the corridor of the conference room, Luo Yan was about to visit Pastor Jeffrey. As he turned the corner, he saw Mia waiting there.

This guy rarely raised his chin to make a "hehehe" laugh, nor did he keep mentioning "small fish devil". Instead, he looked at him with a worried look on his face.

"Are you...really okay?"

Without waiting for Luo Yan to answer, she bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and continued in a low voice.

"How about I talk to my dad and let him think of a solution."

Looking at Mia who was still worried about him, Luo Yan couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. He smiled gently and said jokingly.

"It's okay. They are just a few small demons. Can they eat me?"

Hearing that Luo Yan used the name she usually used in reverse, Mia's cheeks suddenly turned red. She glared at him angrily, her tail slightly raised in anger.

"It's already this hour and you still have the heart to joke."

Luo Yan smiled and said.

"It's 5:10 now, and you still have 20 minutes until you get off work."

"I didn't ask you the time!"

Mia complained unhappily.

Interrupted by this sudden complaint, the complex emotions that had been brewing for a long time suddenly disappeared, and even the slight uneasiness in her heart was easily resolved by this guy.

but--

This was not what she wanted.

The air was silent for a while, Mia coughed lightly, lowered her head, and spoke in a low voice.

“Um…I’m sorry.”

"Um?"

Mia secretly glanced at his doubtful eyes, seemed a little embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and whispered:

"My father said... I shouldn't have asked you to dance so ostentatiously at the birthday party. I wanted to help you, but I didn't expect it to have the opposite effect..."

Having said that, she bit her lip slightly, a hint of guilt appearing on her face.

At that time, she simply wanted to use her identity to help Luo Yan gain some say in the aristocratic circle. However, she took it for granted that the protection of the Padrich family was enough to silence all opponents. Unexpectedly, this caused the Dragun family to tear their faces apart directly, pushing the conflict into a deeper vortex.

In her father's words -

To some extent, the reason why the Dragun family was so aggressive after that was because of her.

Although that might be an unintentional remark made by her father who was annoyed by her nagging.

But she remembered it and has been brooding over it until now.

Luo Yan looked at her self-blaming expression and felt distressed but couldn't help wanting to laugh.

That's it?

If I had to say that the dance had caused me some trouble, it was probably that Vivian forced me to walk around the street for a whole day afterwards...but to say that was "trouble" was too far-fetched.

He smiled softly and nodded gracefully.

"How could that be? It's my honor to dance with the beautiful Miss Mia."

"But..." Mia's lips moved, and tears welled up in her self-blaming eyes.

"Mia."

"Huh?" Mia was slightly startled by Luo Yan's sudden call of her name, and her face turned red unconsciously.

Luo Yan looked at her seriously.

"I don't agree with you blaming yourself for this. It's like saying the victim is also guilty. Do you understand me?"

Mia was stunned.

"This matter has nothing to do with you from the beginning. It is entirely the problem of the Dragun family." Luo Yan continued, "They want to kill me. No matter what you do, this matter will not change. The only difference is the time they take action."

Mia opened her eyes wide and stared at Luo Yan in a daze. She seemed to feel a little relieved, but she still couldn't let it go.

"But...I..."

Luo Yan sighed softly, raised his finger and gently poked her forehead.

"Besides, even if I knew what might happen after this, I would still hold your hand at that time."

In fact, he was still being conservative.

He knew from the beginning that this would happen.

Mia's face suddenly turned red, as if it was engulfed by flames, and even the tips of her ears glowed crimson.

She opened her mouth and hesitated for a long time before she stammered out a complete sentence: "…Why are you, why are you suddenly saying this?!"

Luo Yan smiled, with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Because you asked me, I naturally have to give you an answer."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently ruffled the pink hair, and said in a soft tone: "My answer is - the Dragun family is not important to me at all. I don't care what they think."

"Dancing with you was the most important thing to me at that time."

(End of this chapter)