Gray-Green and Gold Coin

"Iver, someone's coming."

Suddenly, Viennes, who was standing on Iver's shoulder, spoke up to remind him, "There is no hostility."

Her voice was as soft as a murmur when telling a bedtime story. The crow gently pecked at a strand of hair at Iver's temple, causing Iver to raise his hand to smooth his slightly itchy hair.

"Did you come looking for me?"

Iver casually confirmed.

He asked the question, but he had already believed Viennes's warning.

So Iver raised his hand to tighten his collar, turned his scarf to the side, put his coat on more tightly, and slightly covered the fresh bloodstains at his collar.

The stench of blood in the air will probably linger. But keeping it clean is a matter of courtesy when receiving guests.

As for who would come looking for him—there weren't many people who knew that Iver had come to Lloyd's's at this time, had the courage to come looking for him, had no hostility, and knew that he had stopped on the seventeenth floor to treat his wounds.

If we further limit the range to the area where Iver cannot hear footsteps, then there is only one.

So when there was a gentle knock on the office door from the outside, Iver said directly, "Please come in, Ms. Gray-Green."

The person who opened the door was a woman who looked completely ordinary, both in terms of her clothes and appearance.

She looked like a typical housewife on the street, around forty years old, with a slightly hunched back. She had slightly coarse, split-ended brown curly hair and cloudy, wolf-like Gray-Green eyes.

The woman appeared quite gentle, even somewhat reserved. As she entered the office, she even unconsciously clutched the hem of her coat—like a simple farmer suddenly summoned to the school office by her child's homeroom teacher, looking rather bewildered.

If it weren't for the fact that Iver couldn't hear her footsteps at all, he probably would have mistaken her for an ordinary person.

And without a doubt, this extremely simple flaw was something she deliberately revealed to Iver. If she had deliberately concealed her identity, Iver would have had no way of discovering it.

"Minister Moriarty..."

The woman responded in a low, respectful voice.

Iver simply nodded gently. "Please sit down."

As a result, Iver's attitude surprised Gray-Green.

Because Iver's attitude was too friendly, so friendly that all the plans she had made to persuade Iver were rendered useless.

"You... know me?"

The woman in Gray-Green sat down slowly, somewhat surprised.

"Certainly."

Iver nodded and smiled, "Lloyd's's ' Gray-Green,' the leader of Avalon's largest assassin organization."

She was also the Assassin class mentor in version 1.0. She was also the only boss in Lloyd's, a third-rate organization, who was qualified to enter the instance.

Even though "Avalon's killer" is a rather ridiculous phrase... well, among the short, the tallest is the shortest, and this unassuming middle-aged woman is indeed Avalon's strongest killer.

In the original timeline, Gray-Green accepted the order from Minister Drost to send assassins to kill Lily and Lily mother; ultimately, Tommy Lloyd, the leader of Lloyd's's, also died at Gray-Green's hands, after which she became the new leader of Lloyd's's.

Initially, the disguise "Grey" that Iver prepared for Lily during Lily Promotion Ritual was, in the setting, an apprentice of "Ms. Gray-Green".

Before being adopted by Lloyd, Tommy was an assassin apprentice trained by their "mother" alongside Gray-Green. However, due to Tommy's lack of talent in this area, he was eventually eliminated and taken away by the previous Lloyd President.

The "Gray-Green" class is Blade Walker, commonly known as "Poison Thorn".

She's an assassin specializing in various poison techniques, and also a very popular class mentor among players. Later, when she entered a dungeon, she even generously provided level 50 BiS (Best in Slot) gear for the Poison Thorn class.

It could be said that her reputation was extremely high from birth to death. That's why Iver subconsciously thought of her when preparing an identity for Lily.

Compared to the Shadow Stealth Shadow Assassin, whose skill system revolves around "Ground Drilling Technique" for stealth, and the "Sharpshooter," who launches long-range attacks similar to a sniper after stealth, the "Poison Thorn," who is proficient in poisoning and fierce sneak attacks, is more in line with the operating habits of assassin players from other games.

This is undoubtedly the assassin who best embodies the characteristics of Avalon.

Because assassins skilled in stealth and invisibility are easily spotted by flashbangs from the Law Mage and priests who are everywhere in Avalon; and gunmen skilled in firearms pose little threat to the physically strong tin can.

To forcefully assassinate the tough, thick-skinned knights who are always accompanied by servants and stewards in Avalon, where there are nurses everywhere... you have to be a very good fighter.

It must be able to deal a lot of damage in a short time, and also have continuous control capabilities. Ideally, this damage should be able to ignore armor.

—Apart from Blade Walker, assassins from other lineages simply can't survive in Avalon.

Even for Assassin Miss elite assassin like Chloe, who can assassinate superhumans of the same level in Iris, it would be highly unlikely that she could successfully assassinate an Arbitrator of the same level in Avalon.

Because knights of the fourth level and above have such high vitality, she might not be able to kill anyone even after unleashing a full combo, and they'd be held up until reinforcements arrive. The fact that Chief Gordon, who previously fought Chloe, was subjected to a full combo of Ora Ora Ora by the Deformed Limb Demon and didn't even suffer a broken bone is proof of this.

If an assassin can't even kill an opponent of the same level, he's basically already half-useless.

Gray-Green, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.

Her class system doesn't emphasize stealth abilities, but rather focuses on burst damage.

Rather than an assassin, he is more like an agile warrior with strong mobility, short-term invisibility, and the ability to convert physical damage into poison damage.

"Ms. Gray-Green" has many identities. Her primary responsibility is handling Lloyd's's gray-area operations, such as collecting loan repayments, mediating disputes between subordinate gangs, and running casinos and nightclubs. In addition, she is also a street vendor selling Mutton Soup.

If players are not in a "full" state (meaning they have not eaten), they can get a free bowl of Mutton Soup from "Gray-Green" every day after talking to her.

Although the attributes are average, there is a slight "Extraordinary Skills experience bonus" as long as food is consumed.

For players who were reluctant to spend money on food and buffs in the early stages, this kind-hearted, Nameless old lady was a great help.

Iver didn't personally experience that era, but he had seen similar claims on forums—back then, after players followed the storyline and unlocked casino and nightclub missions, they saw that the owners of each establishment all looked like the old lady who Mutton Soup...

Players assumed that the Nameless God Studio was too lazy to create the models.

Although some players joked that this was all an industry run by middle-aged women, or that "this is a clone army of 'Lamb Offal Granny's' (a nickname for a woman)," no one really took it seriously.

—It turned out to be her after all.

Although she was, in a sense, also connected to Lily's mother's death, Iver had already told Lily who exactly was responsible, and Lily had always been clear about right and wrong in this regard.

"The assassin was merely a weapon of the employer; what truly killed my mother was my father's murderous intent. Even without ' Gray-Green,' a Gray-Green rusty knife would have taken her life."

This is Lily's attitude towards the Ms. Gray-Green.

As fellow assassins, sharing the same Path of Adaptation, she could understand Gray-Green. Perhaps it was because she, too, saw herself as Iver's tool.

That's why, when Lloyd's's was later liquidated, Iver didn't go looking for trouble with the Gray-Green.

If Lily, the person involved, clearly states that she does not want to retaliate against Gray-Green, then Iver does not want to go through the trouble.

After all, Gray-Green and Green genuinely wanted to manage the various gangs in Lloyd District.

If the Gray-Green agents are also imprisoned, Lloyd District, leaderless, will descend into chaos. It's better to use the Gray-Green agents from the start than to install a new one later.

Moreover, Lily just happens to lack the professional training to be a qualified assassin... while Ms. Gray-Green happens to be the professional mentor for the assassin class in version 1.0.

Although Lily will probably switch to Shadow Assassin, it's never a bad idea to learn some melee skills.

The fact that Gray-Green approached them at this time was exactly what Iver wanted.

Even before she spoke, Iver knew what her purpose was.

"You want me to help you integrate Lloyd's's?" Iver asked.

This is the obsession of the "Gray-Green" lady in the game.

Tommy is now dead, Boca is in jail. Their respective factions have been purged.

The only surviving faction in Lloyd's is the Ms. Gray-Green.

"No," Gray-Green shook his head in denial, "I do hope... that you can take over Lloyd's's."

She said sincerely.

This surprised Iver somewhat. "I thought you'd been waiting for this day for a long time."

Unlike Tommy Lloyd, who plotted against Isabel and sought to usurp the throne, and unlike Vice President Boca, who was involved with the Noble Red.

"Gray-Green" is a very pure group of gangsters who work solely for the Lloyd's.

—The purity is very high.

Regardless of the Noble Red, Lloyd Prince, spies, or the invasion of the Stibnite Person... this uneducated, barely literate gangster auntie simply wanted to unify the underground gangs of Glass Island and bring about a new underground order.

"You... you can even tell that?"

Gray-Green looked at Iver with some awe. "I have long heard that Minister Moriarty possesses a devilish and wicked wisdom... Ah, sorry. This is a saying that circulates in the underground of Avalon... It is a compliment."

This is absolutely true.

As an "adaptor," she is quite adept at the art of silence.

The power to Path of Adaptation is related to secrets, and she has never told these secrets from her heart to anyone.

"I know what you're thinking," Iver said slowly. "You want Lloyd District's to become less chaotic, less filled with blood and sin. You want to reform Lloyd District's."

"But at the same time, you don't want gang members who have already committed crimes and have no skills to die or lose their jobs."

"Because you grew up here. Those 'good citizens' in the streets and alleys of Lloyd's's, who had committed some crimes, were your uncles and elders. They were also your neighbors who grew up with you."

"You just want to protect Lloyd's's. Or to put it more narrowly, you want to protect Lloyd District, right?"

Iver spoke softly.

Gray-Green stared at Iver in near horror.

Her eyes gleamed with an almost submissive admiration. "Yes... you're right."

Gray-Green is definitely not a good person. But at least she's not that crazy, and she's capable of sitting down and discussing cooperation.

She is a very typical gangster—uneducated and vulgar, never takes human life seriously, easily hurts others, can't save money and can't settle down to make money, despises the law but is loyal.

But she was different from other gang members... She knew clearly that these jobs wouldn't last long and would eventually bring trouble. Therefore, she had been trying to legitimize these gang members.

It's a pity that Lloyd's is almost entirely controlled by the Noble Red. Her word alone doesn't count.

Because of the Noble Red, because of the "Rosy Cross" Society, because the Stibnite Person didn't want these gang members controlled by Lloyd's to have a chance to clean up their act. And she didn't have the mind to fight them... so she could only choose silence.

Lurk, disguise, and wait for an opportunity. Strike like a venomous snake, delivering a fatal blow.

—Iver didn't actually know why she suddenly killed Tommy Lloyd.

But it's easy to guess... As a Mixed-Blood Giant, Tommy's relationship with the Noble Red is far too close. And the Gray-Green don't want Lloyd's's to become a tool in the hands of foreigners, much less just a expendable resource and stepping stone for the Lloyd President to seize materials.

Or to be more precise, not Lloyd's —but the gangs controlled by Lloyd's.

So even when Avalon's capital was completely under the control of the Stibnite Person, those gangs continued to resist them for far longer than the regular Stibnite Person. Just like Hai Na had by then become the leader of the "Hyena Gang."

She doesn't trust anyone else.

Because those people only treat the Bottom Layer gang members she cares about as consumables.

"... But you want me to control Lloyd's's."

"May I say this, Ms. Gray-Green —that you think I would give the Bottom Layer gangs a chance. A chance you can't give them," Iver said softly, reaching out to touch the raven on his shoulder without turning to look Gray-Green Graygreen.

"Yes, Your Excellency..."

"You guessed right, I can."

Iver turned around and looked at the Gray-Green.

With his back to the office window, Iver's face was backlit. But his pupils shimmered with a deep, eerie purple light.

"Then what... can you give up for Avalon?"

Iver asked slowly, word by word.

Gray-Green, however, seemed to have been prepared all along. Without hesitation, she replied, "Of course, it's an opportunity to completely change the outdated society of Avalon!"

"Oh?"

Under Iver's curious gaze, Gray-Green announced loudly, "Let me introduce you to... Mr. 'Gold Coin'!"

As soon as she finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.

Iver also didn't hear his footsteps—but since the Night Demon hadn't given any warning, it meant he wasn't an enemy. So, after receiving Iver's permission, the "Mr. Gold Coin" entered.

—That was a guest that completely surprised Iver.

The presence of such an incongruous guest in Avalon at this particular time caused Iver's eyes to widen slightly.

The man had dark green skin and was only half the height of an average person.

His expression was ferocious, with exposed fangs, making him look quite ugly. He also possessed a dangerous madness, like a high-spirited gambler.

But contrary to his appearance, he was dressed in a rather high-class suit and wore a black bowler hat. He appeared polite, calm, and composed, completely opposite to the dangerous and crazy aura he possessed.

A goblin.

He was holding a pocket watch in his hand—a supernatural object that could conceal one's presence.

"Quack!"

The crow on Iver's shoulder suddenly cawed.

The Night Demon's voice echoed in Iver's mind, "Be careful, Master. That is a Fifth Level powerhouse."

"... It's okay, I know him."

Iver responded in his mind.

He stared at the goblin merchant and asked, "Are you... Grandet?"

"That's quite a surprise, Your Excellency Minister Moriarty."

The ugly and crazed goblin spoke in a completely different, polite and composed voice. It was the most standard Avalon Language, even with a Glass Island accent.

If I had to describe it, it would be like that elegant, calm, middle-aged man's voice that you only hear in animation. "You, who have never left Avalon, actually know my name."

"—Even Ms. ' Gray-Green ' doesn't know my real name."

"I still have some friends overseas."

Iver gave an ambiguous answer, "' The Dragon Trader ' Grandet, I think, has quite a reputation."

Just like his title suggests.

This "Grandet" is the mount and pet merchant in the game.

He is generally active in the Southern Continent and is a remarkably powerful Path of Wisdom. He is rational, selfish, and cunning, and could even be described as... incredibly wealthy.

To put it nicely, he was engaged in "oceanic biological trade".

To put it bluntly, they are human traffickers.

The trolls of the Southern Continent are extremely fertile, resilient, and powerful, but also intellectually deficient.

Therefore, the goblins established plantations in the Southern Continent, employing trolls for labor. The domesticated trolls were then sold to other countries as slaves.

Trolls can eat the food of ten people and do the heavy work of twenty people, all without asking for wages.

Many pioneering areas were pioneered by trolls.

Iver suspected that this involved some degree of triangular trade.

It could even be argued that the reason Avalon failed to seize the initiative in the pioneering and colonization wave was because the influence of the giants made the Avalon extremely xenophobic.

Whether it's trolls or goblins... the Avalon are hostile towards anything other than elves. This directly prevents them from competing with other nations that possess trolls as a tool.

Both the Iris and the Stibnite Person deal with goblin merchants. The Iris is currently involved in some activities to abolish monarchy, so they can't openly sell trolls... but the Star Antimony people need a lot of heavy labor, ritual materials, test subjects, and corpses.

It could even be said that... the rapid development of Star Antimony's technology is inextricably linked to the "troll" race.

Besides trolls, this Grandet also sells some rare items.

For example, rare wild animals, rare extraordinary materials... and living extraordinary creatures.

He sold "fairies" from the Path of Love, and of course, Child of the Moon. He sold fairies from the Path of Beauty, and griffins from the Path of Authority. The reason he was able to sell these things without being hunted down was that he didn't acquire them through capture... but rather through legitimate "contracts" that gave him ownership.

Perhaps it's helping the other person solve a problem, like saving someone; or perhaps it's using a contest to get the other person to gamble away their freedom—although the laws of various countries may not permit "risking one's own freedom," it is allowed in the realm of the extraordinary. Just as those who Path of Transcendence can also Self-Sacrifice.

Unlike other human traffickers, Grandet focused on a legal and legitimate process. With enough capital, he could simply move resources around to continuously increase their value. And that was all the capital he had.

His trading activities seem more like entertainment undertaken to complete his "path to enlightenment" and level up.

Of the many extraordinary creatures that Grandet sold, one made him famous.

That was a dragon.

Yes, he once sold a genuine pureblood dragon that voluntarily sold itself.

"You know me... that's wonderful."

The goblin merchant spoke slowly, his voice deep and magnetic. "To get straight to the point, I want to discuss a business with you."

"Me?"

Iver raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "Or... is it with Avalon?"

"Yes, we have both."

Grandet smiled slightly, his calm and collected demeanor giving his incredibly ugly face and dwarf-like body an unusual, almost demonic charm. "Let's start with what you're most concerned about—"

"Queen Isabel ascends the throne... Should Avalon's xenophobic and isolationist policies come to an end?"

A two-part chapter of 6,000 words, meow~