### Chapter 560: Meeting
On the conquering sea, in Moncala.
In the afternoon of Moncala, in a café located beside a street, Doro had finally managed to find a café among dozens of bars and taverns. At this moment, she was sitting in a windowed booth inside the café, sipping iced coffee while looking at a table full of cash. This cash was freshly exchanged by her manipulations of a zombie puppet at a nearby bank, and William had prevented the Hook Shark Gang from tampering with the bills, so Doro opted to exchange all of it.
“Wow… that’s a lot of money, and it’s all cash… That cup medicine deal seems to be extremely profitable…” Sitting opposite Doro, Nephnis couldn’t help but exclaim while gazing at the pile of cash on the table, to which Doro casually responded after taking a sip of coffee.
“That’s natural. Once addicted to cup medicine, a person’s desire for it is hard to suppress. For ordinary people, they often go bankrupt just to keep consuming cup medicine, so the profits surrounding it are quite high.”
As Doro spoke, she silently criticized the exorbitant profits of the cup medicine as applicable to the mundane. For transactions between extraordinary beings, the profits were still quite different. Although over two thousand pounds looked significant, Doro could easily spend it all in no time.
“The cup medicine business is so lucrative; it’s no wonder there are societies specifically researching techniques to turn people into cup medicine for sale… By the way, Miss Doro, are those sold individuals okay?” Nephnis continued, while Doro answered.
“Don’t worry, they have all been taken back by the local city guards of Moncala. In consideration of the church’s reputation, Moncala will help them resolve their cup medicine issues.”
Doro stated, having coordinated with the local scoundrel Hook Shark Gang under the name of the Intestine Cult to fulfill their prearranged deal. She did not merely want to make the two thousand pounds; there were intentions to properly settle those human-form cup medicines.
Ever since dealing with the two members of the Intestine Cult on the cruise ship, Doro had been considering how to handle the issue of the dozen or so human-form cup medicines they brought along. Clearly, dealing with these brainwashed and highly addicted bl**d livestock was not easy for Doro. Speaking to them about being deceived was futile. Their addiction was so severe that if they were allowed to roam freely and return home after a long withdrawal, they would go insane.
In such circumstances, it would have been best for Doro to hand this group of human-form cup medicines over to the Moncala authorities. However, based on her understanding from various sources, she realized that the authorities here were exceptionally corrupt, especially as many grassroots law enforcers colluded with gangs. Handing these human-form cup medicines directly to the city guards of Moncala might result in them being executed and sold off someday.
Thus, when handing people over to the Moncala authorities, Doro deliberately set up a situation where a “runaway” among these bl**d livestock was aware of the “truth”. During a tour with Vania and the representatives of Moncala, he would openly report grievances in front of them, making the entire reporting process take place under Vania’s observation. Because Vania, representing the church, witnessed the entire affair, it meant that the church was keeping an eye on it. The Moncala authorities, in consideration of the church’s face, surely wouldn’t resort to executing the rescued victims for profit.
The chosen runaway was Dioro; he overheard the truth while on the ship… managed to break free when he was about to be sold… and even got blocked during his escape to where Vania and the Moncala representative were bound to pass… All of this was the result of Doro guiding the zombie puppet intentionally.
Ultimately, after this round, not only did Doro properly handle these human-form cup medicines, but she also earned over two thousand pounds and boosted Vania’s reputation upon her arrival in Moncala. From all angles, it was undoubtedly a profitable venture.
‘The last time was about a dead person’s will being swallowed up by inheritance, and this time it’s cash from impersonation trades… The ways of the Rosy Cross to make money really are diverse…’
Looking at the pile of cash before her, Nephnis couldn’t help but ponder, and then she turned her head to Doro and continued to ask.
“Now that the money is in hand and the people are settled, what’s your next plan, Miss Doro? If I remember correctly, we came to this city to find someone, right?”
“Yes… The main task is to find someone, so now our primary task is to gather intelligence. Just in time, I have a key figure to meet shortly. From him, we might acquire important information regarding this operation.”
Continuing to sip her iced coffee, Doro said leisurely. Hearing her words, a hint of doubt arose in Nephnis’s heart.
“Key… figure…”
……
In the afternoon of Moncala, as dusk approached, the sun in the sky gradually descended towards the horizon between sea and sky. The dim light of the sunset enveloped the vast Moncala, and although the sky darkened, it still remained light. The street lamps along the roads had started to flicker on sporadically, as this city filled with desires was about to transition into its more prosperous night hours.
At the southwestern corner of Moncala Island, there was a small protruding peninsula extending out towards the sea. On this small peninsula stood a modest seaside park, which, due to its distance from the main city, was not particularly crowded. At this moment, only a few figures lingered to admire the sea view.
Inside the park, a gentleman in a finely tailored suit, wearing a short hat secured with a purple ribbon and holding a cane, stood observing the surrounding scenery. With a hawk-like nose and deep-set eyes, he was the very picture of a gentleman. Before him was a large, four-story cylindrical artillery tower, which had no soldiers standing guard and seemed to be long abandoned.
Standing still in the serene park, Ed was admiring the largely damaged artillery tower that seemed to have been abandoned for many years, perhaps imagining the scenes of war that once occurred here. Just then, a figure slowly approached him from behind, and soon Ed heard a voice calling out to him.
“Sir, I found a small flower crown over there. Is it yours?”
The voice he heard belonged to a woman. When he turned to look, he saw a young woman in a light blue dress and high heels, about twenty years old, with short hair. She was holding a flower crown and inquired about it, after which Ed took a moment to think and replied.
“I recognize that flower crown; it seems familiar, but I can’t remember where I dropped it. Miss, may I ask where you found it?”
“Where did I find it… Let me think… It seems like it was in a dream…” The woman pondered as she answered Ed. Upon hearing her response, a smile appeared on Ed’s lips, and he pointed to a park bench closer to the coast.
“In that case, let’s go over there and discuss the topic of dreams.”
“Oh… okay.”
Hearing Ed’s words, the woman with the flower crown nodded, and the two headed toward the seaside. Finally, as the sea breeze blew, Ed sat down on a large bench, and when he saw the woman coming along with slightly hesitant steps, she also took a seat not far from him. After Ed surveyed his surroundings, he turned to the woman and asked.
“At first, you said this rendezvous point was a wasteland with nothing and very discreet. Arriving here, I was surprised to see such a large park; I thought I had come to the wrong place. Thankfully, I still found you.”
“Uh… As far as we know, this place used to be just a wasteland. I didn’t expect Moncala to develop this quickly; in such a short time, a park was built here. Time changes everything…” The woman said after a slight pause, examining her surroundings, and after Ed glanced at her a few more times, he continued.
“Miss, you aren’t using your own body, are you? Is this a body controlled by you in the dream?”
“Ah, no… How did you know? Did you detect me secretly?” The blue-clad woman displayed surprise at Ed’s words while revealing a hint of wariness and dissatisfaction in her expression. Using extraordinary detection against someone else in such a meeting is a considerable breach of etiquette.
“Hehe, you’ve misunderstood, Miss… I haven’t employed any detection methods or extra spirituality for such meaningless things. My understanding that you aren’t using your own body comes from simple observation.” With a slight smile, Ed replied to the woman before him, who appeared stunned at his words.
“Simple… observation?”
“Indeed. Your body is clearly wearing high heels, but you seem very unaccustomed to walking in them. The clothing you are wearing has a certain constrictive effect, and your movements inadvertently betray your discomfort with this constriction. Thus, I assumed you might not be using your own body… If you are looking for a controlling subject, it would be best to choose one whose attire matches your habits.”
Ed smiled as he explained to the woman. Hearing his words, the woman was momentarily entranced, then frowned as she assessed her own body. She then muttered in complaint.
“Well… I only used this beautiful lady’s appearance because she looked so pretty… I didn’t expect that looking pretty would come at such a cost; it’s terribly uncomfortable…”
Listening to the woman’s complaints, Ed maintained his smile without further delving into that topic, instead steering the conversation toward business.
“Alright, now let’s talk about business, Miss. Let me introduce myself first. I am an ‘investigator’ from the Rosy Cross, responsible for contacting you during this mission. I have acquired some general intelligence about you from the ‘Scholar’, followers of the Butterfly God.”
Upon hearing Ed’s direct approach, the blue-clad woman paused slightly before adjusting her posture and serious expression to discuss the matter at hand.
“Ah, greetings, follower of God Akka, subordinate of Patunax… Are you serious about wanting to seize the Mysterious Scents Lantern?”
“Of course! Didn’t you mention before that this is a rare opportunity to reclaim what originally belongs to you? Since it’s a rare chance, it must be utilized well. Once the task is accomplished, the lantern can return to its rightful owner, and all we need is the power to borrow at any time.”
Ed replied as it should be, explaining that everyone gathered in Moncala because of the “Shadow” divine object.
“Okay, if there’s really hope for the lantern to return, we will do our utmost to assist you. However, please do not expect us to help you too much. Compared to the prominent figures from the Moth faction who come to this island, our power is quite small…”
The blue-clad woman spoke earnestly to Ed, who nodded and continued.
“That’s fine. What we mainly need from you is intelligence. How much do you know about that important figure from the Black Dream Hunter Group?”
Ed asked. After some contemplation, the woman responded,
“That person’s name is Serinpu. Punaresus, known as ‘Dry Wing’ in the Black Dream. He is a fully metamorphosed scale moth symbiote and an important member of the leadership within the Black Dream Hunter Group. In mainstream extraordinary systems, he would be considered a powerful Red Tier Extraordinary Being. This time he came to Moncala to obtain the adventure loot of explorer Levarna, which is said to be likely auctioned publicly at a large auction three days from now.” The blue-clad woman explained to Ed. Upon hearing this, Ed’s expression changed, and he questioned further.
“Do you know what this ‘Dry Wing’ wishes to obtain?”
“I don’t know. Our intelligence was deduced from fragmented information passed back through a deep network infiltrated within the Black Dream, making it very limited. Not only do we lack clarity about Serinpu’s specific objectives, but we also have no information on his appearance or characteristics, so you’ll probably need to dig deeper from your side.”
The blue-clad woman explained. Hearing her words, Ed couldn’t help but frown and then pondered aloud.
“An unclear target… an unclear description. Given how vast Moncala is, finding someone under such clues would be quite challenging… But… if he intends to attend the auction in three days, we could narrow the search if we obtain the guest list of the auction… He can’t use your dream control techniques to command others to attend…”
“That’s not going to happen. Based on our intelligence, ‘Dry Wing’ is extremely cautious; he certainly won’t personally attend an arena like the auction, which is rife with fish and dragons. He would have to control a puppet in the dream to represent him. Unless Moncala were closer to a Black Dream stronghold and he had strong protection to oversee transporting valuable items over long distances, ‘Dry Wing’ likely wouldn’t come to Moncala at all and would handle everything through dream puppets.”
The blue-clad woman directly refuted Ed’s assumption. Upon learning that ‘Dry Wing’ would likely not attend the auction in person, Ed’s expression grew more serious, and he continued.
“If that’s the case, finding him might become somewhat difficult…”
Observing Ed lost in thought, the blue-clad woman continued speaking.
“Actually… regarding how to find ‘Dry Wing’, I… um, have a suggestion. You might consider seeking the help of local forces in Moncala? Like the local gangsters here?”
“Local forces in Moncala? Are you referring to local gangs? They are known for their capability to find ordinary people, but can they provide intel on Red Tier Extraordinary Beings?”
“No, not these small-time thugs, but the big ones—the biggest one!” Hearing Ed’s confusion, the blue-clad woman continued. Ed understood her meaning and expressed slight surprise.
“The largest gangster… you mean the Moncala authorities?”
“Exactly! The Giant Shark of the South Sea, the Moncala Venomous Snake, and the great pirate Edward! Moncala is his domain of business for hundreds of years. He once roamed the oceans and acquired countless extraordinary treasures. He possesses many formidable means hidden here. Although he has aged now, relying on these hidden means, he remains the indisputable king here.
“Here in Moncala, Edward once resisted assassination attempts from other ‘Shadows’ in his prime using his own background. If you cannot locate ‘Dry Wing’, you should try finding Edward. He should have the means to locate all lurking parties in Moncala.”
