Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - Unequal Treaty (II)

If you were to look at Spirit Star from outer space, you would see that the West Saint Continent, the North Realm Continent, and the Central Sea Islands faintly enclose a very vast ocean. If you were to lower your altitude, you would be able to see four small circles in the very center of the ocean, like tattoos on a flat stomach.

The closest circle to us is called the Sea Eel Archipelago.

Although it is called an archipelago, it is actually a rather large ring of islands, comparable in size to a small country. The population here is constantly in dynamic equilibrium, and the actual permanent residents are very few, because the primary function of the Sea Eel Archipelago is to serve as a transit point.

"Whoa whoa--"

Little Ying excitedly cupped her hands around her mouth and gazed into the distance, taking in the scenery that was so different from anywhere else on Spirit Star. In other continents or countries, no matter how developed the trade, places like harbors would still retain some natural features. However, the Sea Eel Archipelago were completely artificial. If I hadn't known beforehand that it was an island chain, I probably would have thought it was hundreds of offshore drilling platforms crammed together. Hundreds of millions of tons of steel and concrete rose from the sea, intersecting and combining like complex puzzle pieces to construct enormous docks, transport channels, and warehouse platforms. There was not a trace of the original island chain in sight; not a single naturally formed reef was visible, all swallowed up and covered by the monster of steel and concrete.

Looking around, I saw tens of thousands of huge cargo ships and airships surging towards the Sea Eel Archipelago. Some merged into the waterway docks, while others landed on platforms of various sizes. For a moment, I even had the illusion that these reinforced concrete monsters were like pitcher plants, devouring all the insects that came near.

As expected of Business Capital.

It is also one of the world's largest sea and air transport transshipment centers.

"Business Capital should be quite close by now, right?"

"To be precise, we've arrived."

"Givinia —oh, no, it shouldn't be Winnie," she said.

When did it appear?

"A few seconds ago."

She smiled sweetly at me, and I smiled back.

Although she has broken free from the curse of fate and officially become my companion, we still see each other very little.

It seems that the organization hasn't been aware of what happened after I released Paradise Lost, so Givinia's identity hasn't been exposed within the organization. She's also made the most of her dual identity, taking on the task of gathering intelligence—which is basically being a spy.

She seems to have her own plans, but I'm not quite sure what she's going to do.

"You mean we've already arrived in Business Capital?"

"To be precise, Business Capital is not a flat surface, but a multi-layered, nested three-dimensional structure; in short, it is layered."

"So where are we now...?"

"The first layer is above sea level, there are five layers in total, and the later layers are all underwater."

An underwater city... Atlantis? Ruins? But Business Capital doesn't seem like a poetic place at all.

"The Sea Eel Archipelago before us are part of the first layer. Together with three other islands— the Sandworm Archipelago, the Bamboo Clam Archipelago, Goby Archipelago— they form the four vertices of a square. This is the first layer of the Business Capital. Overall, the layers beneath the sea are all perfectly within this square, without the slightest deviation."

"Benefits for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder?"

"Probably, but you don't really enter the Business Capital until you reach at least the second floor. So the main function of the first floor is still the transfer of goods and people. We'll go down to the later floors from here."

"Like an underwater tunnel?"

"Two methods," Winnie held up two fingers. "First, go through the Sea Forest Tower. The Sea Forest Tower is a vertical passageway that connects all the floors directly. From underwater, it looks like a giant forest, hence the name 'Hailin' (Sea Forest). Second, take a sea vessel that goes directly down to the later floors without going through the Sea Forest Tower."

Channels and shipping tools?

If I had to choose one of the two...

"Since we'll have to pay tolls or something anyway, the Sea Forest Tower sounds cheaper."

"That's true, but I recommend the second one."

"Why?"

"If we use sea freight, we can take the ship down with us. Going by tow is indeed cheaper if it's just people, but we'll have to abandon the ship unless we register it as cargo, which would cost a lot more."

"There's no need to bring ships to the bottom of the sea..."

"But it can solve the housing problem. The housing prices in Business Capital are terrifying. Even renting a room or staying in a hotel is a huge expense. But if we take the ship down with us, we can sleep in the cabins."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration..."

"Business Capital, you'll find that you never have enough money. Every little bit saved now is precious!"

Seeing Winnie's unusually aggressive and assertive demeanor, I suddenly thought of my mother haggling with the vegetable vendor.

A thrifty and capable housewife... tsk tsk, although she might become henpecked, I still really want to marry her.

After that Winnie disappeared.

"My identity within the organization hasn't been exposed yet, and Business Capital is Yu He's territory, so I can't be discovered being with you. Sorry, I'll leave the paperwork to you. But don't worry, I've already placed Mind Projection in your minds, so I can provide some remote guidance."

That's what she said.

Our small boat (far inferior to other giant container ships) entered one of the Sea Eel Archipelago along a canal, going through all sorts of formalities. Completely unfamiliar with these procedures, I was overwhelmed by the numerous regulations on the signboard, and Xiao Wu didn't even want to glance at them. Little Ying, Sin Annihilation, and Sick Spider perfectly Stay Out of It themselves from the process; only Haoyue patiently examined everything carefully.

"Hmm, the procedures for entering Business Capital are indeed very troublesome. Although it's a city, the control at the border is much stronger than that of many large countries... Everyone, we are not regulars in Business Capital, nor have we made any appointments, so we can only obediently proceed step by step. At the fastest, it will take three or four days to get approved."

"... Can't you hurry up?" Xiao Wu, dissatisfied. Haoyue rolled her eyes at her.

"The efficiency of the Gray Starling Group is already astonishing. Do you think how much capital, goods, and personnel pass through the Sea Eel Archipelago every day? Your muscle-bound brain certainly can't imagine it."

"Tsk, but even if we can wait, Little Butterfly probably can't!"

"..."

Haoyue and I both fell silent.

That's right.

Little Butterfly is currently in Business Capital, being held hostage and under house arrest.

She is my daughter. I must kill Yu He, who is using her to blackmail me, and rescue her as soon as possible.

Although Little Butterfly doesn't interact with Xiao Wu much, Xiao Wu must really care about her. I suddenly feel so lucky to have such a loyal friend like Xiao Wu. If she weren't the one who restrained Haoyue and me, who knows how many inhumane things we would have done by now.

But...

"Thank you for your concern for my daughter, but... you know, it's precisely in situations like these that we need to restrain ourselves. Letting her remain under house arrest a little longer is a small matter; if our rash actions cause her harm, that would be a much bigger problem."

"... Yes, I'm sorry, I acted impulsively."

Xiao Wu sighed and leaned against the railing by the dock, the heels of her high-top leather boots clicking on the ground. Ever since they approached the Business Capital, she had been looking restless and irritable. Sure enough, for someone like Xiao Wu, who was all strength, having no outlet for her power must be the worst situation.

Clap clap Haoyue clapped her hands and said, "Alright, alright, Saki—you delinquent, stop complaining! To speed things up, it'll be better if we each split up and work separately, Xiao Ye!"

"Huh?"

"These forms—" she shoved a small stack of papers into my hand, "—fill out the parts I've marked with a red pen. The first two don't need to be too detailed, but fill out the later ones carefully, preferably with a pen. Then go to the domed building over there, get a number, and wait in line. Give them to the clerks and ask them to process them quickly. Then take the receipt and wait for me here!"

"Uh, oh, yes..."

It wasn't a difficult task. I took the papers, and Haoyue turned to Xiao Wu.

As for you... uh...

"Speak quickly if you have something to say."

"... Anyway, go to the management office over there, find the reception desk to get an application form, fill it out, and follow the instructions step by step. First, take a photo and leave your fingerprints. After that, find someone to stamp it. After that, take the form to the other office building. I've already contacted the person at the front desk beforehand. Go to the third floor—"

"Uh... to get the form, leave... leave what? And then where to send it?"

"Leave the necessary information and then deliver it to the office building over there! If I'm not mistaken, the person you're looking for should be on the third floor. If not, ask the receptionist there, 'Where is the office of the judge Miss Tartaglia has booked?' Once you find it, there should be a long queue. Use this time—"

"Hmm, go ask the receptionist there, and then... and then..."

"You're so stupid, you idiot Saki—you stupid delinquent!"

"I hate doing all this stuff!"

"You can't even follow the proper procedures?! You've never even opened a bank account before?!"

"Never done it before!"

"Um..."

"I really want to slap your face! You're capable on the battlefield, in the kitchen, and at home, yet you can't even do these simple things?"

"It's my fault!"

"Hello..."

"Whose fault is it if not yours?!"

"Rather than have me do all this mess, I'd rather fight that lotus-faced monster again!"

"I hope you die a quick and painless death!"

"You bastard!!!"

"Ladies..."

"Shut up—hey, who are you?!"

The two of them shouted at the discordant third voice at the same time, but it wasn't me who spoke.

He was a middle-aged man.

He came to us with the flow of people, approaching us so naturally, without a trace of danger, that I subconsciously ignored him.

He wore a worn-out, old-fashioned jacket, had messy short hair with a few gray hairs, deep forehead wrinkles, a slightly hunched back, and was a head shorter than me. He was the kind of person no one would give a second glance to on the street. If you were to create an illustration for a "middle-aged, decadent dad with no personality," it would definitely be him.

But his next sentence immediately distanced him from the passersby.

"You lot must be Yu He's distinguished guests, right?"

"--!!!"""""

Everyone reacted immediately, entering combat mode—the fastest being Xiao Wu, who swiftly closed in on the man, grabbing his neck and lifting him off the ground. The man groaned in pain, flailing his arms and legs wildly, completely at her mercy.

... What's going on? This guy seems so weak. Is there some kind of conspiracy?

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There might be extra updates in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!