Investigation in Kunse City

Cyrus was dressed in coarse linen clothing, and her exposed face, neck, and hands were painted a shade darker...

He wore a small, tattered hat on his head; he had a clean-cut appearance and was dressed like an ordinary commoner.

Taylor, sitting next to Cyrus, had a mustache glued to his chin, making him look like a small businessman from out of town.

Somewhat shrewd, but poor.

Walker was wearing slightly worn-out armor and a helmet, with half of his face covered by a black cloth that he had used to conceal it when he entered the tavern.

Because of the drinking, the black cloth fell to the neck area.

His handsome face, combined with his shabby attire, certainly gave him the air of a down-on-his-luck knight.

The tavern waiter brought them three large glasses of rye.

The deep brown liquor shimmered beautifully under the dim light of the kerosene lamp, with a few white bubbles floating on top, gradually dissipating, making it look rather tempting.

Adhering to her established persona, Cyrus curiously picked up her glass, took a sip, and then smacked her lips before putting it down.

It's alright.

The reason they disguised themselves to enter the tavern was that, just before arriving in Kunseci, the soldiers that Bana had sent into the city to scout had recently discovered some information.

The soldier saw someone pull a cart covered with a black cloth directly from the village and then secretly deliver it to the back of the tavern.

The soldiers, disguised as scouts, didn't dare get too close.

After observing several times, he noticed that occasionally a few suspiciously dressed people would enter and exit the back of the tavern...

Then, when they left, the group took away many of the wooden barrels used to hold the wine.

The soldiers didn't know what was inside the wooden barrel.

But he believed it could never be liquid alcohol.

Because he had deliberately sought an opportunity to approach and test them—by seemingly accidentally bumping into the oxcart carrying the wooden barrels.

What he smelled was not the aroma of wine, but a slightly pungent odor.

However, before the soldier, disguised as an ordinary civilian, could get up, he was grabbed by the arm and thrown aside.

These people were utterly impolite.

Moreover, their faces were fierce and menacing; even with half their faces covered by scarves, they couldn't hide their slightly ruthless eyes.

The soldier even spotted something partially obscured by their clothing as they moved—it appeared to be a knife hilt...

These people were carrying curved swords?

They were not nobles or knights, but they were even less like ordinary commoners and slaves.

Robber?!

--These two words suddenly flashed into the soldier's mind.

He was the deputy company commander who followed Battalion Commander Bana, and he was no longer a greenhorn.

Over the past few years, I have also followed the group leader to other places to suppress bandits and robbers.

Moreover, their cavalry units were frequently stationed at the port, tasked with eliminating even the bandits who plundered merchant ships on the Volri River...

I've dealt with some vicious bandits and robbers countless times, if not hundreds.

When soldiers and bandits meet, you never know which sensitive nerve might be triggered.

Fortunately, the soldier's disguise was very successful. He immediately became subservient, apologizing and begging for forgiveness with a humble expression.

Because of their status and the fact that they didn't want to cause trouble in the city and attract attention, the group only kicked the man a few times before leaving.

The soldier then reported the situation to Regiment Commander Bana.

Shortly after, Cyrus arrived.

This news needs further confirmation. The first step is to find out exactly what was pulled to the back of the tavern.

Cyrus guessed that there must be a mineral vein behind the village where those poor people were imprisoned.

The mayor of Kunse City not only secretly mined mineral veins without his knowledge, but he also likely colluded with bandits to plan a raid on the city.

As a result, the bandits plundered the property of the city's inhabitants.

Mayor Vernon then took advantage of the situation to take away these people who had become destitute due to the cruelty they had suffered, imprisoned them in the village, and forced them to mine the veins for him day and night.

Anger rose within Cyrus.

He ordered someone to investigate information about Mayor Vernon.

Vernon was originally a minor nobleman, a viscount without any land, who later rose through the ranks to become mayor by passing official examinations.

Coincidentally, Mayor Vernon took the same civil service exam as the current mayor of Komoy Fort, Vina.

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Human greed is insatiable; like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

Kunseci is quite far from Visas and is a border area, making it a remote place that is difficult to govern.

However, the administrative center's power often falls short in certain areas.

This can easily lead to leaders or institutions in border cities acting arbitrarily and without restraint when faced with certain situations.

This is why Cyrus stationed cavalry units in the border region.

However, due to the Black Death, the territory had been affected in many ways.

Not long after, he accompanied the second prince Nitaya, to the Yami Kingdom.

--By accepting a small country as a gift, Cyrus would inevitably have to bring a certain number of people and cavalry to the Yami Kingdom, which would serve as both protection and deterrence.

Although the trip to the Yami Kingdom went very smoothly, we must not let our guard down.

With Cyrus taking away two Grand Marshal Knights, the garrisons within the territory will need to be reorganized somewhat, with particular attention paid to the defenses of Par Mountain and the checkpoints of Visas.

This inevitably leads to some oversights in other areas.

The troop redeployment following the Black Death outbreak was not resumed in a timely manner.

Taking advantage of this gap, Vernon found an opportunity to cause trouble.

This gang of robbers is of unknown origin and is working with Vernon; their whereabouts are unknown.

Although I was caught slightly off guard that day, and met by Bana's deputy company commander outside the tavern, I didn't follow him and thus disappeared again...

After that, the group of people suspected of being robbers did not return.

But then people dressed as merchants started entering the tavern, and they took away a cartload of round wooden barrels...

The group of merchants headed west towards the border—leaving the Kunse City, and further west lay a road leading to the Saint Airo Empire.

This is the second way to travel by land, besides the waterway from the Aibuting River to the Saint Airo Empire.

Generally speaking, it's just that it's closer to the empire by water.

Bana instinctively felt that he couldn't let people from outside the Desinia Territory take these logs away, so he sent someone to secretly follow them.

I don't know how things are right now.

Neither the robbers nor Vernon can be let go.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Cyrus arranged several ambushes.

But the most important prerequisite is to first rescue the people who are imprisoned and forced into labor in the village.

What is the relationship between the owner of this tavern and Mayor Vernon?

Why were the materials mined in the village transported to this place?

Cyrus squinted in the dim light of the tavern.

He recalled the deputy company commander's description of the robbery after the incident.

--The contents of the wooden barrel appear to be liquid, but it's definitely not wine, because it has a pungent smell...

The aroma wafted out faintly.

Even though all the wooden barrels were covered with heavy dust cloths, the smell was still detectable.

Cyrus Zuoyi had some suspicions about the mineral veins being mined behind the village—the operation needed to be carried out with even greater caution, at the very least...

The aroma of alcohol wafted through the tavern, and as dusk fell, more and more people began to arrive.

The surroundings started to get lively.

After taking a sip of rye wine, Cyrus didn't touch it again.

Walker downed the entire glass of wine in a few gulps.

Then, as if caught up in the moment, he took his empty glass and went to the bar counter—where, besides the waiters, a beautiful and charming woman had just come out.

Cyrus then watched as Walker sat down at the bar and began to "chat happily" with him...

Not long after, the woman giggled, covering her mouth, amused by Walker. Then, under Cyrus's wide-eyed gaze, she unabashedly touched Walker's crotch...

Almost half the men in the tavern saw it, and cast envious or jealous glances at Walker after he turned and walked away.

"What good luck, yet another pretty boy Valriana has her eye on... tsk, knight."

"Valriana, after her husband's death, probably has no one to comfort her at night; she's already had so many men with her..."

"You must be feeling lonely over there, haha."

"How many men do you think she'd be comfortable with sleeping with? Maybe I should give it a try?"

Profanities began to fill the tavern, making Cyrus frown.

After Walker left, the woman began flirting with other men, displaying a bold and open attitude.

When Walker returned with a full glass of wine, Cyrus couldn't help but glance down curiously...

The previously composed knight commander immediately used the edge of the table to cover his face, his ear tips, hidden beneath his hair, turning red. He said awkwardly in a low voice, "Ahem... a little touch wouldn't be so bad..."

Taylor: "Good composure."

Although the adults have become much more serious in recent years, their methods haven't diminished.

Cyrus blinked, gesturing for the Knight Commander to sit down and report the information she had gathered.

Walker hinted that he had no more commissions after escorting a small caravan, and wondered if there were any quests here that accepted the service of hired knights.

Generally, hired knights come to taverns to find tasks and commissions.

Therefore, Walker's words were not abrupt.

The beautiful and charming woman was pleased and said that if he stayed in Kunseci for a few days, he would definitely meet a caravan coming to the area.

There will be tasks to be assigned at that time.

Cyrus's eyes darkened as she listened.

It seems that Mayor Vernon not only colluded with the bandits, but also intended to sell the valuable minerals dug behind the village to another country.

Now... the news has probably already spread.

The Saint Airo Empire...

Therefore, they need to act as soon as possible.

Three days later, Taylor, disguised as a merchant, and his commoner apprentice Cyrus were successfully sold by Walker.

They, along with other bound slaves, commoners, or merchants, were taken to the village, their wrists and feet shackled.