Inside the cabin, [ Howling Pothos ] was busy. He placed the documents brought by Duma and [ Mysterious Goblin ] in a highly airtight wooden box, and with some simple sealing techniques, it was enough to prevent the river water from seeping in for a short period of time.
This box came from the player [ Mules and Horses Drive the Sun ], who was using the identity of a carpenter as a cover. After a period of lurking, he actually made his so-called carpenter identity a reality, without giving off the half-baked feeling of delivering the box to the chapel at the beginning.
According to [ Mules and Horses Drive the Sun ] himself, he was able to relax his mind through physical movements while busy with carpentry work. [ Howling Pothos ] didn't care much about this, but after personally inspecting the other party's base, he ordered some well-sealed wooden boxes.
Strap the wooden crate full of confidential documents to his back, and before dawn, [ Howling Pothos ] leaped into the well-hidden ice cave.
This ice cave is quite different from the original one. To facilitate his own and other players' access, a kind person has set up a rope at the bottom of the river. Even players who cannot swim can use this rope to freely travel between the city and the outside world as long as they can hold their breath.
As for the metal grille that extends deep into the water, its edges had long been smoothed out with metal files brought from Dragonborn Village, posing no threat to passing players.
[ Howling Pothos ] kept moving against the current, and after an unknown amount of time, it finally saw the end of the guide rope ahead.
He increased his swimming speed, and finally, with a powerful stomp of his legs, his head smashed through the thin layer of ice and emerged from beneath the water.
"Huff, huff."
He gasped for breath, splashed the icy river water on his face, and looked around to find at least a dozen people staring at him.
Six or seven fishermen lined up along the riverbank, while four or five tea enthusiasts were tending a small stove on a flat spot. Even the Dragonborn female shopkeeper in the supply depot was watching them with a smile.
This... it seems like only a few days have passed since I last left, and this place already seems much more bustling than before.
[ Howling Pothos ] thought to herself, if these fishermen don't leave when spring arrives, this place might develop into a new town.
However, upon further reflection, he realized that this was unlikely. After all, the supply depot was actually built for the capture of Fir City, and according to the players' deductions, the Fir City Operation would probably end in the spring. The tow ropes hidden under the ice and the damage to the metal grid would be easily discovered after the ice thawed.
When this supply depot is gone, everyone who has been here will surely miss it...
Thinking this, [ Howling Pothos ] climbed onto the ice and quickly arrived at the warehouse area behind the shop, where, sure enough, it found [ Do Some Farm Work ] and [ Good Times Don't Last ] playing Connect Four.
"We've got a job, guys."
The [ Do Some Farm Work ] that the college student had managed to solve with a "double three" solution couldn't be cracked, and he happily raised his head:
"What good stuff does someone want this time?"
"Nobody wants the goods; the people inside have some confidential documents they want to cash in."
"Oh, it's a deliveryman. I don't do that. Give it to him."
[ Do Some Farm Work ] pointed listlessly at [ Good Times Don't Last ] in front of them. The two of them actually had a very vague understanding of the division of this business. It was only because [ Do Some Farm Work ] only wanted to do things that were illegal in reality that the business was split up.
Compared to smuggling, the express delivery business is clearly a completely legitimate business.
[ The Good Times Don't Last ] Upon hearing this, he grabbed a bag from nearby, carefully opened the sealed wooden box, counted the documents inside, and then put them into a new wooden box that was more suitable for carriage transport.
He looked at [ Howling Pothos ] and asked:
Are you in a hurry?
"No rush."
"Okay, then we won't deliver them separately. We can wait until we have a whole truckload and then deliver them all to Black Locust Town, is that alright?"
"Can."
"Is there anything else? Would you like to stay for some tea?"
"Did you really make tea? If it's just pure tree leaves, then forget it."
"It's not exactly pure tree leaves..."
Faced with his friend's doubts, [ the Good Times Don't Last ] thought for a moment and said:
"Remember the Angler Melon? It's an edible, artificially Aberration plant..."
[ Howling Pothos ], who was familiar with the setting, continued:
"It has a slight hallucinogenic effect. For people with insufficient willpower, the taste can be altered to a certain extent according to their imagination, but it's fake; it's a manifestation of hallucination."
"Yes, that's it."
[ The Good Times Don't Last last long] He nodded:
"I recently discovered that adding a little Angler Melon peel to the water when you're just soaking tree leaves creates a different effect."
He pointed to the group of casual gamers brewing tea in the open space:
"As long as they believe it's good tea, they can taste the real flavor. Of course, their willpower is generally not very strong, so if you want to drink it, you'll need to add a little something extra."
[ Howling Pothos ] fell into deep thought. His clothes, already chilled from crossing the icy river, clung tightly to his body.
There's still some time before dawn, so sitting down and having some tea... doesn't seem like a bad thing?
Fir City, Twin Towers Cathedral.
Antiya Lisi did not return home tonight. Influenced by recent rumors, many people think he is an old man with peculiar hobbies, and even that his servants are not useful servants at all.
There were even many scandalous stories circulating in the shadows. Antiya Lisi, having investigated thoroughly, learned that the protagonists of these stories were actually the scandalous tales of the last Marquis of the Aduolin Family when Fir City was under the kingdom's rule.
It's unclear where the rebels found these unofficial historical accounts, but after some embellishment, they made themselves the protagonist.
These physical rumors, now rampant throughout Fir City, made him feel utterly disgusted whenever he looked at his own mansion.
There was a knock on the study door, and Antiya Lisi simply let the person in.
There was only one person he could think of who would come to visit at this time.
As expected, the visitor was none other than the legion commander Marba, with whom he had just completed the division of power.
"Commander, what business do you have with me, the bishop who is only in charge of internal affairs?"
Antiya Lisi, engrossed in the case files, asked a casual question.
"Your Excellency is too kind. I have come to gather some information, and... to apologize."