399. The Prohibition

After simply leaving a record with the police, Dr. House. Trist, along with Lu Ban and Xiya, left the clinic in the evening as the sun set.

"Is someone watching you?"

In a roadside restaurant, Trist recounted what he had experienced in the dark underground chamber.

To his surprise, neither Lu Ban nor Xiya sensed it.

That thing seemed to be aimed at Trist.

"Do you really know something terrible that they want to kill you to silence you?"

Lu Ban picked up a hot potato, peeled off the skin, sprinkled some salt and pepper on it, and took a bite.

"I didn't dare say what was in that room while I was inside."

Trist sighed and stirred the broth with a spoon. Compared to the vegetable broth in the Black Street, the broth in the restaurant at least had real meat patties and was much richer in flavor.

"But neither Lu Ban nor I felt it, which shouldn't be the case."

As Xiya wolfed down her food, she said that a chicken leg in front of her had already been eaten, bone and all, and only a few crumbs of bread remained. As for the chops and vegetable soup, they were only slightly delayed in being eaten because Xiya was talking.

"Could it really be an illusion?"

Trist was well aware that Lu Ban and Xiya, one not a normal person and the other beyond normal, if neither of them felt anything, then most likely there really was nothing there, and it was just their own psychological effect.

"Alright, let's look at the next targets of our investigation: the suppliers who contacted Dr. House, and the two patients he treated. Oh, and I might have to go see Madam Martina tomorrow morning; after all, some things are better left unattended."

He patted his chest; the medical records were in the inner pocket of his long trench coat.

"Is it possible that the friends and relatives of these people who were killed by the gangsters' socialites harbored hatred and wanted to kill accomplices like Dr. House?"

Lu Ban asked again.

"That's possible. I've already recorded the names and information of these deceased people, and I can investigate them tomorrow."

As a detective, Trist certainly has that level of intuition.

"You two can sleep in my Detective Agency tonight. I'm a little worried that other monsters have appeared because of the influence of the Silent Land."

"Yay!"

Lu Ban let out a "Yay!" sound.

Are there usually many monsters appearing in the Ruined City?

It seems that apart from the previous "Mouth of the Madman" mission, Xiya has not been to the Ruined City again, so she is not very familiar with the state of the place.

"Not many. To be honest, having traveled to so many exotic places, I think the most dangerous Ruined City is not monsters, but humans."

Trist smiled wryly.

After dinner, the three of them strolled through the streets.

As its name suggests, Gray Alley is located at the boundary between the rich and the poor. Under the streetlights, there are many prostitutes. They are dressed in flamboyant clothes, but they all look terrible. As long as you are willing to pay, you can spend a wonderful night with them. There are also some beggars with numb eyes, showing no will whatsoever.

The only thing that's less common is drunkards, because the Ruined City is still under a prohibition on alcohol, so those guys who rely on alcohol to numb themselves haven't appeared on the streets. But has the crime rate really decreased?

Lu Ban didn't quite believe it.

"So, because of Prohibition, some doctors brew alcohol privately to sell. Could Dr. House have this hobby?"

He had seen alcohol in the dark room; in this foreign land where alcohol was prohibited, such things were quite risky.

"It's possible, but at least the wines in his dark room weren't brewed by him. I recognize the labels; they're from the Catania Family. At certain high-society gatherings, these wines are offered to guests for tasting in small rooms. They must have been a gift from Madam Martina."

Trist explained.

Prohibition laws are stricter on the lower classes and naturally more lenient on the upper classes.

Lu Ban looked towards the wealthy area, which was also resplendent at night, brightly lit and illuminating the roads of the poorer area, even more dazzling than the streetlights here. In those houses, the so-called upper class reveled every night, and fine wine was certainly a staple of these banquets.

However, due to the prohibition on alcohol consumption, people cannot drink alcohol in public or at parties. Therefore, many people go to the lounge of the banquet hall to discuss deals while enjoying drinks.

A small group of people walked by on the street. They were wearing tattered clothes, covered in dust, and had stains on their bodies that were hard to wash off, whether from paint or coal.

"These are the workers over there. They have to start work at seven in the morning and work until nine at night, six days a week. The money they earn is only enough for two people to eat. The pollution from those factories, I mean the exhaust fumes and the like, is very serious, especially in recent years. A worker can only work for a maximum of three years before they can't work anymore, otherwise they will die."

Trist whispered to Xiya and Lu Ban.

"Many of them were farmers living in the wilderness outside the Ruined City. Due to the adoption of some new technologies, the wealthy people who controlled the farmland fired them and sent them into the Ruined City. Being illiterate and lacking skills, they could only work in factories and continue to be exploited by the wealthy."

"Why not go to other cities, or even to more remote wilderness areas?"

Xiya was puzzled.

In the Night Country, there is no such exploitation and oppression. If a person cannot go to the Gray Tower to learn magic, they can farm, raise livestock, cut down trees, raise fish, and in any way, they can support themselves.

"The area outside the Ruined City capital is barren, and even bounty hunters are unwilling to waste their time there. Further away, like last time, it requires a long journey and is dangerous. Many people can't even afford the fare."

Trist lit the tobacco in her pipe, inhaling the pungent aroma to relieve her fatigue.

"Moreover, even if you go to other cities, you might still be exploited by the local authorities. There's no difference. At least in the Ruined City, there are more opportunities. If you're physically strong and lucky enough to join a gang, you can even become a henchman."

"That's terrifying."

Xiya couldn't help but sigh.

"That's why I say that the people of the Ruined City are more terrifying than monsters. Monsters will only kill you, at least you won't feel anything when they eat you, but in this city, you will only feel a slow death devouring you, Affliction will last until the moment you stop breathing."

Trist led the two through the streets with practiced ease, back to Trist Detective Agency, which was also located on the border between the rich and poor.

As soon as the door opened, a fat orange cat was sitting on the sofa, lazily looking up at the door. When it noticed Lu Ban, the orange cat suddenly jumped up, looking at him warily, and then disappeared in a flash.

"I'll go borrow two blankets. You guys just find a comfortable spot on the floor."

Trist pointed to the messy ground and then went downstairs.

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