Chapter 990: The Kree Clan and Arsene Lupin
May 19th, Les Eygents, the Kingdom of Iris.
At twelve o'clock noon, the weather was sunny and hot.
Alice de Harcourt was not wearing the hot outfit she usually wore when working as a journalist. Instead, she changed into a dress as cute as a princess and sat in the carriage.
The dark green dress was embroidered with golden threads, embroidered with elven hymns, and trimmed with white lace. She wore white silk stockings crafted from elven craftsmanship, and she looked like an oversized doll... well-behaved and quiet, a few years younger than usual.
She leaned against the car window, squinting her eyes, looking peaceful and beautiful.
Suddenly the carriage stopped and the shaking woke her up.
"Here we are, miss."
The driver said so.
Alice got out of the carriage. The early summer sun was so bright that it made her feel dizzy.
At noon, people were walking in the streets and alleys. Street artists were singing loudly, which was a very standard opera aria. Children surrounded her, their eyes seemed to be full of stars.
Not far away, on another street, a bard could be seen playing the violin on a raised platform. Originally a diversion platform used to prevent riots, it was piled with sandbags for shelter, but now it had become a crude personal stage.
Behind the minstrel, among the crowd who stopped to listen to the music, you can see a young-looking pickpocket stealing some banknotes from the pocket of an old man holding a walking stick.
Seagulls screeched overhead, and the aroma of food drifted through the streets. Freshly baked fries and crepes accompanied by cheerful calls, and Alice felt a little hungry.
"Ma'am, your suitcase."
The driver took Alice's luggage from the top of the carriage and handed it to her. He was secretly surprised by the weight of the box - could such a thin young lady lift such a heavy box?
He couldn't help but ask, "Is there anyone coming to pick you up?"
"some."
Alice smiled and handed the driver a banknote.
This was three times the fare they had agreed on.
This is not good, the driver thought.
He could tell at a glance that this was a young lady who was inexperienced in the world. If others saw such a wealthy yet naive young lady, they would immediately realize that a fat sheep had arrived.
These are irises!
How many playboys and con men disguised as playboys roam every street, the former stealing girls' bodies and the latter taking away their money as well.
The driver looked at the children who were stealing and frowned slightly.
He knew those kids.
They were a group of street kids who called themselves the Kray Gang. They had basically just come out of orphanages, and some were still in orphanages - because the laws in Iris had a mechanism to protect minors, the gangs had evolved to the point of hiring children to do some dangerous things.
It all started with burglary—the origin of the Krays' name, which means "key" in the language of irises. Adult gang members would help them scout out wealthy, under-guarded homes, or notify the youngsters when the owner was away. Based on the information, the Krays would expertly pick the locks and steal the designated items.
Because they were young enough, even if the police arrived, they couldn't shoot them on the spot. Even if their owners returned, they could only capture them, not harm them. The children fled in all directions, nimbly disappearing into the streets and alleys they knew well. At most, they could only catch one or two, and most of the time, they would be repeatedly pulled away and easily shaken off.
Under Iris law, "theft" is different from "robbery." As long as the thief has left the scene of the crime, he or she cannot legally retaliate and harm others. Injuring or even killing the thief is also illegal, and harming a child is a felony. If the child's theft is not too large, then trying to recover it by force is not worth the effort.
If you report the stolen goods to the police, they can only recover items that haven't been sold yet. But in most cases, the stolen goods are immediately sold to gangs.
Compared to adults who would choose to betray their gang out of fear of breaking the law, going to jail, and various punishments, these fearless little brats are actually very tough and extremely loyal - the consequences of not being loyal are even more severe than going to jail. After all, Iris Prison always treats them well, and since the amount of theft is not large, they will be released soon.
So, these children gathered together... Over 80% of them were orphans, and therefore fearless. So much so that now, in Iris, "orphan" has become a slur, and many orphanages themselves are even linked to gangs... and even to "Those Who Must Not Be Mentioned."
Therefore, even though these children's hiding skills are not good, many people would not dare to speak out even if they saw them.
——Children are the most vindictive.
If you dare to cross the Krays, you will be followed to your home. Every kid on the street is a potential Kray, and they can always attract more gang members.
In order to let these children have something to gain and leave satisfied, people often put some change in the shallowest pocket of their clothes when they go out. If they succeed, they will leave satisfied, at least the surrounding streets will be safe; if they fail, they may want to steal watches, jewelry, glasses, pipes or other more valuable things.
The Krays were deeply hostile to the wealthy. Given the opportunity, they would target the wealthiest-looking individuals within their area. For them, the sheer joy and meaning of "making the wealthy lose their property" far outweighed the small profits they earned from selling the stolen goods. After all, these kids never starved—the gang supported them, and stealing was simply their job, not a necessity to survive.
The driver didn't know whether this naive young lady understood these "social rules".
In order to prevent her from meddling in his affairs, or saying something she shouldn't, or being targeted by these bad kids because she couldn't pay... he decided to stay here for a while.
Just consider it as an additional service for the triple fare, he thought.
"In that case," said the driver, "I will wait with you for a while until he comes."
He didn't ask whether the person who came to pick her up was a man or a woman - based on his years of experience soliciting prostitutes, the girl must be waiting for her sweetheart.
Thinking of this, the driver, who was in his forties or fifties, straightened his beret and adjusted his woolen vest.
He glared at the child who had stolen something in a threatening manner, and the child glared back at him without any fear.
The child looked Alice up and down, a flicker of surprise in his ignorant eyes. He thought for a moment, and then quietly retreated.
At this moment, a hearty voice sounded.
"Miss Alice, sorry for the wait."
It was a man wearing a tall hat.
His tall hat was black, and its shadow covered half of his face, leaving only the lower half of his face exposed, which was clear-cut and full of charm. He was tall and dressed in a black tuxedo.
"Mr. Yassen!"
Alice greeted him with a smile.
Seeing someone coming, the driver nodded tactfully, put down the box, got on the car and left.
Yasen took the box and walked towards a nearby bar.
Alice walked over affectionately and took "Mr. Yasen's" arm.
She whispered, "Where's my money, Arsene Lupin?"
"Don't worry, little girl."
Arsene Lupin laughed lowly, "That's not how the rules work. We have to follow the order."
As he said that, he took Alice into a nearby bar.
The bar has no name and no sign outside. Or rather, it once had a sign, but it has now fallen off, leaving only traces of its freshness.
There weren't many people inside at noon, but the noise was surprisingly boisterous. Gray smoke billowed out, choking Alice and making her cough. There were also the sounds of rude laughter, conversation, the voice of a bard telling a vivid story, and the snap of cards.
All of this was so new to Alice.
She looked around with wide eyes, trying to take it all in.
But at this moment, she suddenly saw a man in a white robe in the corner.
He suddenly raised his head and stared at her. Their eyes met for a split second, and she felt a chill run down her spine and a cold sweat break out.
He was a man in a white robe with long white hair, bloodshot eyes, and a gloomy and dangerous demeanor. He sat in a corner, surrounded by a circle of empty people. He was the only one at the table.
For some reason, Alice felt that this person was familiar. It was as if she had seen him somewhere before.
The white-haired man seemed to notice Alice's gaze. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a cruel smile.
The next moment, Yasen took half a step forward, blocking the man's sight.
He took off his hat, revealing a thick head of black curly hair.
He stared at the white-haired man, and under Alice's horrified gaze, he slowly walked forward and sat in front of him.
"Sir, is there any room here?"
Yassen's steady voice fell, and he pressed his hat on the table.
"ah……"
A low, hoarse voice sounded.
Those blood-red eyes stared at Arsène with an unconcealable smile: "Of course... Monsieur Arsène de Vendôme."
At that moment, Alice saw that Yasen's left hand, which was holding down his hat, suddenly exerted force, and the bones were clearly visible.
Updated meow!
I originally wanted to finish writing before going to eat...but I was so hungry that I felt dizzy and my hands were shaking, so I decided to go eat first and come back to finish writing!
(End of this chapter)
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