Fallen Chronicles



Abu: "I was saying, that the young lady behind Mr. Renji is quite slender, and her looks are excellent. However, she lacks the humble and gentle demeanor of a maid. But if she's a 'bodyguard,' then it makes sense. It's quite common in the Dragon Nation, similar to having a secretary, lawyer, doctor, and so on as a bodyguard"

 'So, this young Nobel man on the opposite side likes this kind of rebellious flavor'

With these thoughts in mind, Abu had already made up his mind.

"In any case, having only one person by your side is too few. But fortunately, this is the Sealed Capital, and what you need to worry about the least is not being able to find people. Here, take this. Consider it a complimentary gift from me."

As Abu spoke, he handed a parchment scroll to Renji.

Many traditional and classic things don't disappear with time, like traditional cigarettes wrapped in paper or, in Renji's hands, a sheepskin scroll filled with a heavy texture and firm feel.

After Renji unrolled the scroll and glanced at it, he found that it contained a list of names.

Behind each name was a corresponding business name, shop number, slave category, and characteristics.

"I still have a bit of a network here in the Sealed Capital. What you're holding now is the internal list of our slave market. It almost covers all the decent slave traders, allowing you to see at a glance and avoid being cheated. After all, you should be able to imagine how deep the waters are in such a large market."

"Well, this is really good. But I see there's a circled trader on top. Who is this?"

"Oh, that's my friend. You can go take a look. When you go, just mention my name, Abu, and he'll give you a 30% discount! I guarantee he'll provide you with the finest and top-quality slaves!"

"So, that's settled then. Since he's your friend, he must be reliable. I'll visit him first when the time comes."

"All right! I'll definitely greet him right away and ensure you receive the finest service!"

After chatting with Abu for a bit, Renji found no further useful information. Soon, he made up an excuse and sent Abu away.

Once Abu left, the spacious house felt considerably empty, with only Renji and Eileen remaining. As for the young girl behind him, without any outsiders around, she couldn't resist speaking up:

"Yo Old Timer, what exactly are you up to with all these messy things? You don't really plan to live here, do you? Don't forget we still have a mission!"

"Alright, what's the rush? I'm just following a three-step plan, aren't I?"

"Three-step plan?"

"Yeah, change clothes, buy a house, and then we can move on to the last step. By the way, Eileen, if it were you, where do you think in the Sealed Capital is the most likely place to encounter the Revolutionary Army?"

Although the girl was a bit confused and didn't quite understand Renji's three-step plan, she was used to it. Regarding Renji's question about the Revolutionary Army, she responded almost instinctively.

"It must be the slums, right? I always feel that such places are most compatible with. Uh, and with criminals. Cough, cough, and the Revolutionary Army!"

"Yeah, you make a good point. Let's go then. We'll start by visiting the slums."

Agreeing with a nod, Renji immediately got up and left the villa with Eileen.

"By the way, old timer, where did 86 go?"

"I sent her to withdraw some money."

"Withdraw money?"

"Yeah."

The prosperity and brilliance of the Dragon Nation are only for a select few, and similarly, the bright lights of the Sealed Capital exist only in certain parts of the city.

Whether it's a common sentiment among Dragon Nation residents or not, the slums are situated to the south of the Sealed Capital.

When Renji and Eileen arrived here after getting off the carriage, although the journey was only a dozen minutes, it felt like they had entered a different world compared to the bustling streets they just left.

The road, repaired halfway and left unfinished, was dirty with mud and sewage flowing from unknown sources. Apart from a few scattered streetlights, the shabby wooden shacks, one after another, were dark and desolate. A heavy, lifeless odor hung in the air, and on the narrow and muddy slum street, there were hardly any people in sight.

By the way, in the Dragon Nation, there are significantly more carriages than cars. These carriages aren't pulled by ordinary horses but by monsters tamed from the barbaric lands of the Southern Orcs. Although they are certainly not as advanced as cars, considering all aspects, carriages outperform cars in terms of cost-effectiveness.

In this world, where there is Miasma, monsters, and even the "magic" from the legendary "Elves" the status of technology is not as crucial. Some countries, like the Dragon Nation, even resist technology because the aristocracy doesn't want ordinary, mediocre people to enjoy a life as privileged as theirs through the power of technology.

Renji and Eileen started to wander through the slums, choosing narrow alleys and dead ends.

Maybe it was after working hours, but some of the scenarios Renji imagined didn't occur. Fortunately, Renji's eyes soon lit up. He quickly turned around, entered a dim alley, and looked at the wall.

There, a simple propaganda poster was plastered.

But the content was far from simple.

Just the first few words might scare many people.

It was a propaganda poster of the Revolutionary Army!

However, Eileen was extremely excited about this, as it was precisely what they were looking for!

"We found it! We really found it!"

"Look, there's contact information and an address! What are we waiting for, old timer? Let's go!"

The girl was on the verge of jumping with excitement. The feeling was akin to a patriotic young activist discovering a secret underground organization, eager to join the great cause with trembling excitement.

Unfortunately, the young man beside her remained indifferent.

Renji: "Yeah."

Renji: "Not bad, not in vain. Now it's almost certain. At least there are two factions of the Revolutionary Army in the Sealed Capital." Renji nodded at the "Revolutionary Recruitment Poster" on the wall.

"What's this? Two factions?"

"Even the places you can think of and find, wouldn't the officials of the Dragon Nation follow this pamphlet to investigate? It shouldn't be difficult to trace the source. Do you think, for the Revolutionary Army, recruiting is more important, or staying hidden?"

Eileen: "Right, right! These Revolutionary Army people are so careless! But it could also be because they are short-staffed and have no choice?"

Eileen still had questions.

"The real estate businessman mentioned before said that the Revolutionary Army is quite active, committing arson, murder, and looting many civilians. This doesn't seem like a group lacking manpower."

"So, what is this?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the Revolutionary Army in this pamphlet should have an official backing, just using the Revolutionary Army as a cover. This way, they can act recklessly, and if anything happens, they can blame it on the Revolutionary Army."

"What—! How can there be such scum! Wait, that doesn't make sense. If that's the case, why are they still recruiting? Why bother putting up these deceptive posters?"

"To fool naive patriots like you. Anyway, recruiting people like you won't be a loss for them. Let's go." Renji shrugged and walked towards the outskirts of the slums.

Eileen: "..."

The girl quickly caught up with Renji, anxiously asking, "So, what do we do now? How do we really find the real Revolutionary Army? We can't just watch them, continuously letting those filthy scoundrels take the blame! Otherwise, the demi-human race will only become more and more hated by everyone!"

"Don't worry, I already have a rough idea of where the real Revolutionary Army might be."

After leaving the slums and reaching the normal streets, Renji prepared to hail another carriage. During the wait, he didn't keep Eileen in suspense and explained directly:

"It's quite simple, just change your logical perspective. Since the authorities are diligently searching for those escaped demi-humans but haven't found them yet, it indicates that within the Sealed Capital, there must be a place that's both concealed and secure, possibly even legally recognized. People would feel it's normal for many demi-humans to gather there."

"Huh? Is there really such a place?"

Eileen expressed her doubt. She could believe in concealment and safety, but that last point. Along the way, she had seen many Dragon Nation residents being wary of demi-humans, especially after numerous plundering incidents. If they saw a bunch of demi-humans gathering, wouldn't they report it immediately? Did it really seem normal?

"Of course."

Renji pointed his aristocratic cane towards a carriage that was approaching from a distance.

When the carriage stopped and pulled over to the side, the two of them got on.

"Sir, where would you like to go?"

Renji: "The slave market"