Chapter 8, Mining City

In the early morning, Misscon is completely enveloped in a thick fog, making it impossible to see objects just two or three meters away. The distant houses and streets can only be distinguished by their vague outlines.

In front of the building is a vast expanse of lawn, and behind it, there must be a large-scale garden. Stepping down from the carriage, Hel seemed to be in another world

The coachman was clearly dissatisfied, but in the end, he merely glanced at the several hunting dogs, and the words that were on the tip of his tongue retreated.

"Is there a problem? Have you forgotten your keys?" The major stepped forward and asked. It was clear that he did not intend to let Hel escape: "Mr. Goller, your estate has so many rooms; you must surely employ a dedicated locksmith. Could you please ask him to lend a hand?"

He took out two pins from the drawer of the bedside table, squatted beside the box, and inserted the pins into the keyhole, fiddling with them for a while. With a soft "click," the lock sprang open.

In fact, he soon discovered that this was indeed another world, a world that was completely different from the one he was familiar with

Since he knows that the resistance organization is bound to suffer a disastrous defeat, how could he still wade into this murky water? However, disobeying orders from above is certainly not a good thing, so he must do something.

At the forefront is a dignified elderly man in his fifties. Although he is not tall, he exudes a sense of vitality that is entirely different from that of scholars. This elderly man is clearly accustomed to giving orders, and his every gesture conveys an invisible pressure.

However, from the lines of these articles, for some reason, Hel has a very unpleasant feeling, yet he is unable to determine what exactly is making him feel uncomfortable

"Major Martin, do you know this unexpected guest?" The dignified old man suddenly changed to a kind and humble expression as he asked.

Old Man Moon is heading to Antomin City in the eastern province of Mafilo to visit an old friend. This city, located by the lake, is renowned for its picturesque scenery and is also a very tranquil small town

Hale noticed that the expression of the waiter behind the counter turned somewhat unpleasant when he saw the hunting dogs behind him; however, as soon as Hale requested a deluxe room, the gloom on the waiter's face completely vanished

At that moment, the restaurant attendant brought over the dinner he had ordered, interrupting Huer's thoughts and allowing him to cast aside that unpleasant feeling as he began to enjoy his meal, eating while also perusing the newspaper

In a moment of reflection, he recalled that when he got off the public carriage, he was somewhat disoriented, and it was only at that time that he might have taken the wrong suitcase. Huer vaguely remembered that at that moment, his suitcase was placed side by side with that of the elderly man opposite him

He took a set of keys from his pocket, inserted one into the lock of the suitcase, and with a soft "click," the lock sprang open

He gave a silver dime as a tip, sent the hotel attendant away, and suddenly felt exhausted, quickly running into the bedroom

When Hel recounted his story, he did not deliberately look at the major; however, the periphery of his vision always encompassed the major.

Miskon is a mining city, its wealth and prosperity all stem from underground, from the intricate network of mine tunnels, and from the ore carts that travel along the tracks

Have the hotel porter carry the suitcase to his room. This was the first time Hel stayed in a deluxe room, and he realized that a deluxe room was actually a suite, with a living room outside and a bedroom inside

He noticed that when he mentioned "the calamity of the surrounding feral beasts," a subtle and unusual expression inadvertently appeared on the major's face

With a long sigh, Hel seemed to lament as he spoke to the people around him: "You can never imagine what it is like to flee for four consecutive days and nights without a moment's pause. It is something you probably cannot even begin to fathom, nor can you comprehend how terrifying the 'calamity of the wild beasts' truly is.

When the suitcase was completely opened, Hel was suddenly stunned

The public carriage carried the crowd into the city. Although the fog obscured visibility, Hel could still sense that Miskon was very prosperous. This was evident from the dim yellow lights illuminating both sides of the road. In Yafa, not every city is equipped with gas streetlights, let alone having streetlights lining every road throughout the city.

Hale casually ordered a roasted turkey rack accompanied by fresh herring sashimi. He also did not forget his hunting dogs, instructing the restaurant staff to prepare twenty pounds of raw pork to be sent to his room

From the gaze of the major, Hel captured a hint of anger, which was evidently directed at the old man

In this thick fog, there is also a hint of coal dust in the air. Hel took a pair of glasses from the pocket of his coat and put them on to shield himself from the dust. This is standard equipment for the wealthy in Miscon.

In addition, he can also be certain that in the recent period, the Yafa Empire will definitely not launch another war. The disparity between Yafa's army and Beru's army is certainly not merely a matter of the quality of weaponry; even someone as uninformed as he is aware of this, let alone the generals who graduated from military academies. Yafa will absolutely not deploy its troops.

He clearly remembers that at that time, the young man's military rank was merely a junior lieutenant, and it was absolutely impossible for a junior lieutenant to be promoted to major in such a short period of time

The road in the suburbs is uneven, and sitting in the carriage is exceptionally bumpy. This continues for nearly over an hour until the carriage finally turns onto a side road. This is an extremely quiet path, flanked by dense woods. The trees have been deliberately planted here to block dust.

Under the sign, he was not the only one present; there was also an elderly man and a middle-aged couple. However, everyone looked quite similar, all huddled with their necks drawn in, wearing masks, and their hats pulled down low. This was due to the presence of the hunting dogs, which caused everyone else to keep their distance.

Inside his box is a magic book that others cannot understand, and he too finds it difficult to comprehend the book within this box. The text in the book is very peculiar, even stranger than those ancient scripts.

The young man with blonde hair and blue eyes was indeed the captain of the Beru cavalry squad he encountered after being stopped by robbers on his way to Xuelute.

He never expected that, as the prey hidden in the jungle of humanity, he would confront the hunter so soon. Just thinking about the scene when he first encountered this major on the way to Xuelute made Hel feel completely stiff.

The tightly drawn curtains, the constantly sealed carriage compartment, the fragrance emanating from within the compartment—everything seemed so eerie

Miskon is the capital of the northern province of Branton. Even for the former Yafadi Empire, it was considered a relatively prominent city. Now it has fallen into the hands of the Beru people, and for the relatively less prosperous Beru Empire, Miskon can certainly be regarded as one of the major cities.

He lowered the brim of his hat, covered his face with a scarf, and turned up the collar of his trench coat, effectively concealing most of his body. Then, holding his suitcase, he stood quietly under the station sign, waiting, surrounded by his hunting dogs.

After careful consideration, he decided to first inquire about the elderly man who had mistakenly taken his suitcase. Hel knew that for a prestigious family like this, there would certainly be dedicated personnel responsible for distributing invitations, as well as detailed records.

With an inexplicable intuition, Hel vaguely sensed that there was something behind this matter that he needed

Half an hour later, accompanied by a pleasant sound of hooves, a point of yellow light approached from afar

I believe you should have the key," the major said as he took the suitcase and placed it on the table. "Why not open it and take a look, to confirm whether it is indeed your suitcase, and also to check if anything is missing inside.

The gentle sound of hooves seemed to have a hypnotic effect, and he, exhausted from several days of labor, fell asleep leaning against the carriage.

Following the servant, Hel arrived in the garden behind the villa, which was a garden filled with Southern style

There is no need to go to such trouble, Hel said quickly

After driving for about five or six kilometers, the narrow road wound into a valley. A few minutes later, Hel saw a brightly lit area on the hillside in the distance

In the early morning, Hel and the old man Moon parted ways in Miskon. The old man found a public carriage station and got down with his hunting dog.

However, the Beirut side does not have such restrictions; the number of troops stationed in the three major provinces is merely a matter of a written order for them

He read carefully, and indeed, from the articles in these newspapers, he saw many things

He pulled back the curtains and looked outside; at this moment, it was already evening in Miskon. He had slept for a full twelve hours, and suddenly a rumbling sound came from his stomach, reminding him that he had hardly eaten anything for almost an entire day

What troubled Heller was that there was no reason to refuse this proposal; verifying on the spot whether the items were lost was both a necessity and a courtesy

However, the article is written very cleverly, with not a single extreme remark to be found from beginning to end. It merely points out a few individuals belonging to the first two levels who have not been deprived of their property, but have only relinquished their supervisory positions

In that moment, Hel had already understood what kind of character this young major was; perhaps there existed a relationship between him and the major akin to that of cat and mouse.

He is an expert at observing others. Although the group of people before him are all dressed in luxurious attire, their demeanor is completely incongruent with their garments

The number of people in the restaurant was increasing, and Hel finished his long dinner, but he took the newspapers with him

At this moment, the fog gradually lifted, and Hel saw before him a revolving door, a novel feature he had not encountered during his previous visits to this place

Behind these resistance organizations, Hel seemed to see the figures of his colleagues who had trained alongside him and were now lying in wait here

Hale could completely guess why the old man Moon was unwilling to be with him; the old man did not like Miss Kang

Hel felt very hesitant; the other items in the box were not important. The troublesome part was the magic book and the notes that were kept together with it.

Then he spoke about what happened after parting ways with the cavalry squad. He mentioned his villa in Shaluote and did not conceal anything regarding Moon. He enthusiastically recounted his experiences entering the Devil's Mountains and spoke in a tone filled with fear about the "Surrounding Beast Calamity." However, Hel did not reveal that he was the cause of the "Surrounding Beast Calamity."

Hale fished out two copper coins from his pocket for the fare, informed the coachman of his destination, and then placed all the hounds on top of the carriage.

Just as he wanted to probe further to see what exactly piqued the major's interest in the "Cataclysm of Beasts," the same attendant approached carrying a suitcase.

In front of the crowd, Hel began to weave his lie that contained no falsehoods, starting from the moment he encountered the bandits, recounting how he came to know the officer from Beirut to those around him

Suddenly, Hel was completely stunned; the object lying on the bedroom floor was not his suitcase at all

Suddenly, Hurl became interested in this article and the person who wrote it. At the same time, he was also filled with curiosity about Mr. Hills Gorrell and the dealings he had with the Beru people

He raised his hand to call over a servant and gave him a few instructions. At that moment, the group of people nearby had already surrounded Hel, inquiring about what had happened. Hel could only recount the incident of mistakenly taking the wrong suitcase, which elicited a round of light laughter.

"I didn't expect to see you again," said the young man

These two items may not matter much to others, but if they are seen by this major, whose status is likely not much different from his own, it will certainly raise his suspicions

A group of people gathered by the edge of the pool, among them was an elderly man who appeared to be in his seventies. This Mr. Hobbes was completely different from the other elderly man, Moon. While Moon gave off an air of serene detachment, as if he had seen the vicissitudes of life and had come to terms with the world, the elderly man before us exuded a peculiar calmness.

This article was published in the Branton Times, in a rather inconspicuous position, and its content clearly targets the decree issued by the Beirut authorities that classifies the residents of the three major provinces into seven tiers

Recently, the three major provinces in the north have been rather unsettled. In some areas close to the south, bandits are rampant, while in other regions, resistance organizations and guerrilla groups, under various banners, have emerged like mushrooms after rain

He was a young man in his twenties, handsome yet resolute. His forehead was slightly raised, causing his eye sockets to appear somewhat sunken, which made his gaze seem even more piercing and intense

Behind this gaze of anger lies a barely perceptible disdain, and it is evident from the changes in the old man's expression that this major instills fear in him

After spending more than half an hour, Hel finally found the article in a newspaper from three weeks ago.

Regarding these resistance organizations, Hel did not care much at heart. Over the course of this month, he carefully analyzed the situation and was almost certain that these resistance organizations had no chance of success.

I can tell you all that it was only when I boarded that public carriage that my heart finally settled down. However, it was also because I mistakenly took Mr. Hobbes's trunk that I had the opportunity to meet you all

Although the sky has brightened, the road remains quiet. However, the public carriage still does not dare to go too fast, moving only slightly faster than walking.

The invitation is addressed to a person named Lars Hobbs, scheduled for tomorrow evening, and it bears the handwritten signature of the sender, whose name is Hills Gorrell

The rented carriage left on its own, which put Hel in a bit of a predicament; he did not know how he should return.

On the afternoon of the second day, Herr spent twenty-five marks to rent a suitable suit from the hotel, and with the invitation in hand, he left the hotel

Before Hel could speak, the old man smiled and said, "I guessed correctly; I knew you would definitely come"

There is only one explanation: what he saw at the time was not the true rank of the young Beru officer before him. What kind of secret must be so tightly guarded that it allowed a major to disguise himself as a lieutenant to undertake the escort duty

This sleep was quite sweet, and Hel has already forgotten how many days it has been since he last felt this way

This is a rather famous inn. Heller had previously visited Miskon twice, both times staying at this inn. The reason he chose to stay here again this time is to see if anyone would recognize him

Returning to his room, Hel planned to take a shower first and then lie in bed to read the newspaper. He had already slept for a full twelve hours, so he had plenty of energy and time.

In Hull's mind, the foreheads of those few individuals had already been branded with the mark of "traitor to the nation". These individuals must have done something to earn the Beru people's disdain.

This major is undoubtedly a formidable character. He has self-awareness and knows that at this moment, he is far from being a match for this major. Facing him head-on offers no advantage whatsoever; the only strategy he can think of is to feign madness and act foolish.

In the middle lies a pool over fifty meters long, with a dozen fountains arranged in a straight line continuously gushing water. On either side of the pool are neatly trimmed hedges.

I apologize for my oversight that day, Hel said hastily

Carrying the last bit of his possessions, Hel left the room and arrived at the dining room. At this moment, it was not yet dinner time, so there was no one in the dining room. However, it was evident that the hotel frequently hosted guests like Hel, and thus the dining area in the upscale guest room section was always attended by waitstaff and chefs on standby.

There are many newspapers, and Hel selected a few of them, all of which are renowned for their focus on political changes. Among them, there are several articles with sharp and incisive language that get straight to the point

He casually hailed a cab on the street, showed the driver the address on the invitation, and then climbed into the carriage.

He walked straight towards the old man, who had evidently noticed him as well

However, feigning ignorance also requires considerable skill; the most convincing fools are those who do not appear to be fools at all.

While waiting for the chef to prepare the meal, Hel requested the restaurant's attendant to bring the newspapers from the past month

This article specifically mentions the names of several individuals. Although these individuals no longer hold managerial positions, they still wield significant power, and the name Hills Gorrell is among them

That long string of lavishly decorated private carriages, and those ladies adorned with pearls and jewels, easily evoke associations with the "noble class" of the pre-Revolution era

As the horse-drawn carriage drove into the illuminated area, the scene before him left him in shock; Hel even doubted whether he was seeing a palace.

Suddenly, Hel's attention was drawn to a familiar figure behind the young girl.

Hale carefully took out the items from the box one by one for inspection. This method of examination was also part of the training imparted to spies. From the box, he found only three items that could be considered clues: a ring engraved with initials, a ticket from Hobart to Miskin taken from a pocket, and an invitation.

After observing for a while, he was even able to guess the identities of these individuals; some among them were artists, while others were scholars

From her attire, it can be inferred that this young lady is likely the daughter of a wealthy family; however, she does not possess the arrogance typically associated with such heiresses

Major? Hel's heart raced; he suddenly realized that he might have let a big fish slip away.

The old man appeared quite out of place amidst the luxurious and noisy illusion surrounding him; not only the old man, but also the group of people around him gave Hel a similar impression

He felt that this name was very familiar. After pondering for a moment, he finally recalled that he had seen the same name in the newspaper he had just read

Uncertain of how much time had passed, Hel was roughly awakened by a pair of large hands; he had arrived at his destination. Still in a daze, Hel took his luggage from the rack, disembarked from the carriage, and paid no attention to the hunting dogs, as they would jump off the carriage by themselves.

This move was learned during spy training. Upon opening the suitcase, it turned out to be somewhat similar to his own suitcase; aside from clothes, it contained books.

How strong is the strength of the Beirut army? He is very clear in his mind that the Beirut people are rigid and stubborn, and have never understood compromise. From these two points, it is sufficient to deduce that the Beirut authorities will spare no effort in hunting down the resistance organizations, which, in any case, appear to be like a scattered mass.

This is a three-story building, yet it stretches two to three hundred meters in length. Although it reflects the style of the colonial government period, it is imbued with the grandeur of the era of Emperor Babur. Under the illumination of countless torches, its imposing presence is further accentuated

Similar to feigning ignorance, lying also involves numerous techniques. The most sophisticated lie is one that contains not a single element of falsehood. Such a lie, even when subjected to extensive manpower for meticulous verification, reveals not the slightest flaw.

Uncovering the inside story is clearly much safer than contacting those resistance organizations, and perhaps even more meaningful

Behind the old man, there followed a girl with an indifferent expression

The carriage quickly left the city, and in the outskirts of Miskon, rows of iron tracks could be seen stretching towards the distant mountains. Although it was already night, the bright red flames could still be seen in the distance. Hel had heard that the flames of those enormous steel furnaces burned year-round without extinguishing.

Moments later, the servant from earlier approached this way, leading several individuals.

The young man also noticed Hel, and what troubled Hel was that a hint of vigilance suddenly appeared in the young man's gaze

Casually calling over a waiter, Hel repeated his needs to him. To his surprise, after mentioning the name Las Hobbs, the waiter directly informed him that the old Mr. Hobbs resided in this manor.

"There is no need to apologize; in fact, you have won me a bet," Mr. Hobbes said with a smile