Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Every city has its own characteristics, but not every city is like that. At least for Newton, the city he found himself in now was no different from the one back in the Fiore Kingdom; it lacked any distinct features. As for culture and such, Newton had yet to feel anything significant.
Since he had no money, shopping was out of the question. He merely wandered around, observing that trade was quite lively. At least from Newton's perspective, everyone seemed to be smiling, seemingly satisfied with their lives.
The people on the street paid little attention to Newton and Rona. Even though they were dressed in rags and one of them was disabled, it was the deputy sent by the Sheriff that attracted most of the attention. If Newton and Rona stood on the street like that, they likely wouldn’t draw much notice.
"Excuse me..."
Newton called out to the young man beside him.
"What is it?"
The young man responsible for maintaining order had been summoned by his superior. He looked quite young but wore an expression full of pride, showing no respect towards Newton or Rona. Even when Newton tried to engage him in conversation, he seemed indifferent.
"Um, my name is Gold Alchemy. May I ask how to address you, sir?"
Newton lowered his posture considerably, completely unaware of what kind of person this individual was. He thought it best to play humble. However, even with Newton's low demeanor, the young man still appeared dissatisfied, seemingly oblivious as to why his superior had him escort someone who came from the sewers around town and even find him a place to stay. Although people in the upper city generally held no prejudice against those from the sewers, most viewed them as dirty or criminal; there was no distinction between good and bad—anyone from below was considered bad.
For those with a bit of status, most sewer dwellers were seen as criminals, fitting the stereotype of sewer rats perfectly. Thus, their disdain for those from the sewers was not surprising. As for others, they simply couldn’t tell that someone in tattered clothing was from below; they merely regarded them as impoverished individuals. But this young man knew that Newton hailed from the sewers, which naturally colored his attitude.
"John. Just call me John."
John didn’t even bother to look at them directly as he walked ahead of Newton and Rona, appearing as if he were leading two servants around town.
"Yes, Lord John..."
Newton cleverly added "Lord" after John's name, and from John's smug expression, it was clear that he relished it.
"Lord John, I wonder how Lord Sheriff plans to deal with that Norman in the sewer?"
"What’s the matter? It’s just a sewer rat. Once we find out where he is, we can easily take care of him."
John wasn't hiding anything; he simply didn't know. Although the Sheriff valued Newton's potion highly and had chosen John as a trusted confidant, he couldn't reveal everything to his subordinates. He had only come after receiving this information, meaning he hadn't formulated any plans yet. Newton's words were merely an attempt to make conversation.
"Of course, of course! With someone as wise and powerful as you, dealing with those rats should be a piece of cake. But still, my lord, even if you are formidable, there’s still a risk of injury down there, right? I have something good here; I wonder if you might need it?"
Newton pulled out a red vial from his pocket.
"This is a potion I developed myself. Just one sip will heal any injuries. You see, if something goes wrong, you just drink this, and it could save your life. Or if you don’t want to use it yourself, you could give it to your superior if he gets hurt—wouldn’t that be a great achievement for you?"
Newton spoke mysteriously.
"And don’t you want to know what your superior was doing at that time? He actually offered this potion. You see, there’s no guarantee that this potion will end up in your hands."
However, John did not pay attention to Newton's ramblings; instead, he smiled coldly.
"Yes, but how do you know this potion won’t end up in my hands? Are you trying to sow discord between me and my lord? Let me tell you, that's impossible. My lord has shown me great favor; without him, there would be no me today. If you think you can so easily drive a wedge between us, dream on!"
"Gratitude for being recognized?" Newton chuckled coldly. It was merely a matter of insufficient leverage for betrayal; if the leverage were sufficient, then all notions of gratitude would mean nothing. However, Newton did not reveal this insight, only managing an awkward smile. Yet, the deep disdain in his eyes for the other person went unnoticed. On the other hand, the glimmer of greed in the other's gaze was clearly seen by Newton, who quietly slipped the potion he held into the other's hands. John claimed that his superior would provide for him, but no one would worry about having too few cards in hand; more cards meant more means of survival. Thus, John naturally accepted Newton's offering. It wasn't entirely correct to say he accepted it, as it was not something he sought out but rather something given to him. John comforted himself with this thought, rationalizing that how could these people possibly refuse a bribe? They merely consoled themselves with various excuses.
"However, my lord, you see, my daughter and I are new here and have no money. Where could we possibly find a place to exchange for some?"
Newton appeared somewhat embarrassed but quickly followed up.
"Rest assured, my lord, I will definitely turn over half of my earnings to you!"
John shot a glance at Newton.
"Come with me, but these potions must not be sold easily, do you understand?"
"Yes, yes, my lord. I understand the matters here."
Newton followed him to a place resembling a second-hand market.
Comment 0 Comment Count