Side Story: Feather and Poison (5)

Meiwu'er then went inside.

The ceiling of the room seemed a bit low to him, and standing upright even made him feel somewhat cramped. Fortunately, there were chairs for human use in the room, so he simply sat down next to one of them.

The sound of him casually closing the door made Newman's heart skip a beat.

To his surprise, Chloe did not continue to be as aggressive as before.

She first looked out the window at Dafulin's receding figure, then turned to look at Newman.

"Dafulin is the second princess of the Cold Mountain Kingdom," Chloe said. "She's staying here as a political hostage."

The relationship between the Star Empire and the Cold Mountain Kingdom has always been extremely poor.

Centered around the two countries, and involving multiple forces, they have been fighting endlessly on the Plain of Despair for years.

Corpses littered the fields, and blood flowed like rivers.

What remains there are not only ruins, but also the heavy pain etched into history.

Three years ago, the two sides finally reached a temporary agreement. And Dafulin was the "collateral" sent by the Cold Mountain Kingdom to fulfill the agreement.

She could stay in the City of Radiance and study freely, but she was not allowed to leave the capital even for a moment.

"If she doesn't say anything, I'll pretend I don't know," Newman sighed, clearly already aware of the matter. "To me, Dafulin is just an ordinary girl interested in academics."

Chloe nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

"Then let's get down to business," she said seriously. "I need your help, and I need you to keep this request a secret."

Newman nodded.

Chloe pulled out a few sheets of paper from the files she carried with her and handed them over.

Newman took a look and found it was a set of architectural sketches. The subject of the drawings was a detached two-story building. Judging from the surrounding scenery and architectural style, this place was clearly located in the Stars Palace.

"This house is currently used by a scholar named Samuel," Chloe began to explain, "His Majesty Lorenzo funded his research in this building."

"Samuels?" Newman looked surprised. "Is he the one whose research was disqualified and demoted to a regular scholar because of illegal human experimentation?"

The scholar system differs greatly from the rating system for combat professions.

Passing the basic knowledge assessment makes one Apprentice scholar, also known as a fledgling scholar;

By passing the advanced knowledge exam, one can become a formal scholar;

Only after successfully publishing academic findings will one be granted the title of "Secret Scholar".

Only those with outstanding academic achievements and sufficient recognition from their peers are qualified to become great scholars.

As for the most outstanding group, they will be selected by a vote organized by the Supreme Knowledge Association. Once they are approved by the vast majority of people, they will be granted a special bird name and become titled scholars.

"This place looks like a villa," Newman said, frowning as he stared intently at the sketches. "It's simply not big enough to be used as a medical research facility."

"That's exactly what we're wondering about."

Meiwu'er spoke.

"Our people investigated and found that they could see most of the rooms inside through the windows."

"But nothing obviously abnormal was found."

Newman looked down and flipped through the sketches again.

After all, it's just a drawing, not a real building, so many details are inevitably missing.

"Can you take me to see it in person?"

"Entering the palace is no problem," Meiwu'er replied, "But we can't get close—we're about two hundred meters away. Can you see anything from there?"

"That's enough," Newman said decisively.

****

On the carriage to the palace, Newman finally couldn't contain himself and brought up the translation commission from before.

"The ruins of the Ashes City Dynasty are connected to the whereabouts of a gemstone."

He began to explain.

"I've already paid the construction crew two thousand gold coins to silence them, and the ownership of the treasure belongs to me."

"Only two thousand gold coins?" Chloe scoffed. "Looks like they think it's just an ordinary treasure. Truly, without knowledge, one cannot recognize true wealth."

"So this matter absolutely must not be leaked!" Newman said with a hint of urgency.

"Don't worry, of course I know that."

Chloe answered.

"What's hidden inside should be the Deep Soul Cocoon."

"This is no ordinary gem; it's a legendary object said to be able to sustain the soul's consciousness for a considerable period of time."

"I didn't expect you to be interested in this."

Newman shrugged.

"I'm not interested in the Deep Soul Cocoon itself; I'm interested in the price it can fetch."

He said it bluntly.

"In short, if this matter is successfully completed, you will receive 20% of the profits, according to the rules."

"Deal." Chloe answered just as decisively.

Then, she took the opportunity to explain the whole story.

"The Corbyn scholar couldn't translate the manuscript, so he passed it on to me privately."

"It's alright, I can't be bothered to pursue Corbyn any further." Newman waved his hand. "Giving you these two percent is well worth it."

He spoke frankly.

I underestimated the difficulty beforehand.

"If you hadn't intervened this time, I might have ended up losing more than I gained."

The method Chloe deciphered for opening the secret door was so complex that just seeing it made his scalp tingle and his heart pound.

Newman's idea of slowly deciphering the text by referring to the rubbings on the door was a complete act of ignorance and recklessness.

****

The carriage soon arrived at the palace gates.

Newman peered at the guards ahead and couldn't help but ask, "How are you going to get me in?"

"I'm short, are you planning to make me crawl into the box?"

"Have you gotten used to doing this kind of thing?" Chloe rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "You're a guest invited by me, the future Crown Princess. Wouldn't it be better to just walk in openly and honestly?"

"----I forgot about that."

Fifteen minutes later.

Chloe, Newman, and Meiwu'er were "openly" strolling in the palace gardens.

They gazed across the lake at the mansion where Samus lived on the opposite bank.

From the bushes, Newman took out a monocular telescope-like device, skillfully set up the tripod, and aimed it at the other side.

Night had fallen, and the lights in the house had long been turned off, but the moonlight was exceptionally bright, illuminating the lake and the rooftops clearly. Newman observed for a short while before completing this remote survey.

"This house has a basement," he told Chloe in a low voice, his tone firm, "And it's quite large, about five times the size of the above-ground portion."

At this point, he raised his hand and pointed to an inconspicuous well next to the hut.

The well had a simple stone shed with a water-drawing frame inside; it looked quite ordinary.

"That place is the basement ventilation opening."

Chloe did not press Newman on how he arrived at these conclusions.

Just as Newman didn't press her on how she had cracked the secret door to the treasure room of the Ashes City Dynasty.

Even if you ask a senior expert about matters that cross professional boundaries, they won't understand.

"Let's go," Chloe said.

The three quickly left.

****

The next morning, the lakeside gradually became lively.

The chirping of insects rose and fell, and in the chilly morning breeze, flocks of birds chirped and fluttered into the air. A few small birds landed on the shed above the well, paused briefly, and then quickly flapped their wings and flew away.

No one noticed that one of the short-billed swiftlets hadn't left, but had silently slipped into the well.

It has a special small ring on its paw.

On the ring, layers of tiny runes flowed slowly.

Even in the tiny eyes of the short-billed swiftlet, a faint blue light flickered.

Although the well was pitch black, the birds seemed to be visible.

The swiftlet also possesses the ability to detect darkness by using ultrasound, emitting sounds inaudible to humans when it opens its beak.

Soon, the bird found a fairly large hole on the side of the well wall.

It was covered by a sturdy metal mesh, and noticeable heat was constantly emanating from it.

This is the vent Newman was talking about!

The swiftlet landed at the edge of the cave entrance, opened its beak again, and called out at an ultrasonic frequency.

After calling for a while, it will stop and listen carefully for a response.

This was repeated several times, but there was still no response.

In the woods, Chloe, who was controlling the swiftlets, couldn't help but show a hint of frustration in her eyes.

It seems that this ventilation opening is insufficient to transmit sound to the Feather Race who may be imprisoned in the underground facility.

She was about to control the swiftlet to find other possible ventilation openings when Xialike gently pressed down on her shoulder.

"Don't rush," he whispered, "The logistics staff have just started distributing breakfast."

Breakfast is not the key.

Rather, it was because the bodyguards worked in shifts day and night, and their mealtimes were often designed to coincide with the shift change and the shift change.

During shift changes, the guard over prisoners can easily be relaxed a little.

As expected.

The next moment, a sharp, short screech suddenly came from deep within the ventilation shaft.

It's also ultrasound!

As Feather Race, their vocalizations and auditory frequencies, like those of swiftlets, exceed the frequency range that humans can perceive.

This response is a unique greeting among the Feather Race, signifying that the dialogue can officially begin.

Chloe's eyes lit up, and she immediately focused her attention on controlling the swiftlet.

[Are you, who, locked, inside?]

Limited by the swiftlet's vocalization ability, Chloe could only output words one by one.

The response from the other side came very quickly, clearly indicating that they had no such restrictions.

[I am Yu Yao, and I have been imprisoned here for about half a year.]

Yu Yao.

She is the Queen of the Feather Race!

In the woods, Chloe's body trembled violently, nearly losing control of the swiftlet.

She forcefully suppressed the shock surging in her heart, struggled to steady her breathing, and reconnected her mentally.

The blue light that had been flickering in the eyes of the swiftlet beside the vent finally calmed down.

Chloe continued asking questions.

Please verify your identity.

****

The basement of the villa.

The conditions in the prison were actually surprisingly good.

The surrounding area was covered with soft cushions, and all the hard, sharp edges had been deliberately smoothed out.

Despite being underground, it didn't feel damp or stuffy; the air circulated well, and the temperature remained within a comfortable range.

For a prisoner, this is considered top-tier treatment.

However, Yu Yao's expression was one of deep sorrow and unease.

She listened to the faint birdsong and forced herself to calm down.

An inquiry from the Feather Race!

This opportunity is too precious to pass up.

Normally, even if she only opens her mouth and makes a silent hiss, it will alert the guards.

But now is a rare lull in the market.

As the guards kept watch day after day, they inevitably became less vigilant. During shift changes, they would sometimes exchange a few words in hushed tones.

Such opportunities don't come every day.

The contact not only successfully appeared here, but also precisely chose this time point with the highest probability.

This shows that the other party is quite astute, able to enter and leave the Stars Palace, and has a good understanding of the situation there.

For the Feather Race, there's no need to guess who could do this.

It must be Chloe, the little bookworm who is currently studying at the palace!

Yu Yao took steady breathing and quickly responded.

[Chloe, it's me, Aunt Xi Yu.]

In the woods, Chloe was startled once again.

She was precocious, learning to read at the age of three, which led to many funny incidents.

One example was mispronouncing the Queen's name "Yu Yao" as "Xi Yu," which made the Queen laugh so hard she almost rolled off the bed.

Chloe suppressed the turmoil in her heart once again.

[What happened?]

She sent her inquiry through the swiftlet.

In the underground cell, Yu Yao didn't waste any words and immediately began to recount what had happened.

Time was too tight, so she spoke very quickly.

In the woods, Chloe opened her notebook and began to take shorthand notes. The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft, hissing sound.

Seeing that she had clearly been frightened and was only now finally calming down, Xialike lowered his voice and asked, "What's wrong?"

Knowing that Chloe could multitask between mind control and writing, he dared to speak up only now.

"It's Queen Yu Yao!" Chloe replied in a low voice, her voice still trembling.

Xialike was deeply shaken.

"Are you sure?"

Chloe nodded emphatically, her pen never stopping for a moment.

Xialike fell silent, but his mind was racing.

Yu Yao-

That is the Feathered Feather Race's Lord of Feather Command!

Six months ago, Queen Yu Yao was attacked at sea by an unknown force and has been missing ever since. This incident caused quite a stir in the north at the time, but there has been no definitive result since.

It now appears that the attack was orchestrated by Lorenzo, who secretly imprisoned Yu Yao in the basement of this lakeside villa.

But the question is, why did Lorenzo do that?

The Feather Race's territory is extremely remote, a full 17,000 kilometers away from the Star Empire!

Attacking the Feather Race, or coercing and exploiting Feather Race, are all illogical purposes.

Two minutes later, Yu Yao's narration suddenly stopped.

The guards who had changed shifts returned to their posts and entered the cells.

Under such close surveillance, Yu Yao's any unusual movements could not be concealed at all.

She could only emit a very soft and brief chirp by stretching.

That was the signal signaling the end of the agreement among the Feather Race.

Chloe didn't delay. She controlled the short-billed swiftlet to exit the well and, under the cover of the flocks of birds flying overhead in the morning sky, mingled with them and flew away.

As the sky brightened, flocks of birds began to scatter and fly away, and the people in the mansion gradually started to move around.

"We should leave too," Xialike whispered a reminder.

Chloe nodded, and the two quickly left.