Chapter 404
Chapter 35: Eavesdropping
Her good father must have given the guards the order of “no matter what happens, don’t let anyone in to disturb,” or else those sentinels outside would have rushed in to report when Lan barged in.
Only someone with authority and both strength and status, like Miss Lan, could reach this place alone in such circumstances.
Although that wasn’t the original intent, since she happened to stumble upon it, recalling her collaboration with the girl who called herself Vilyric, Lan deliberately lowered her footsteps and quietly pressed against the study door to eavesdrop on the happenings inside.
Besides her father’s familiar voice, Tyler Tuls, there was another man’s voice that Lan found very unfamiliar talking to him.
“Don’t give me that nonsense. Everyone has difficulties. Now that the Abyss war in the south is over, His Majesty’s full attention is here; just keeping it under wraps is hard enough. And you want me to send more people to help you? Afraid there aren’t enough who know about it, right? Afraid not enough will die, am I right?”
“I can tell you, Her Majesty the Queen is different from the former king. Father has hinted at it more than once; though not overtly, Liliya’s political strategy leans towards pacifism. She would never allow us to do such things without permission.”
“If the truth comes out, the Tuls family is big enough to weather some punishment, but what will happen to you scurrying little rats? No need for me to emphasize that, right?”
Hearing such treasonous words from a familiar voice made even Lan’s heart sink. Even though she didn’t fully understand what her father was plotting, just the act of deceiving the crown was enough to put the entire Tuls family in hot water.
The Tuls family was indeed large and difficult to shake, but as individuals, it was not the same. Her father was only escalating his position in conversation, knowing the other party was clueless.
This was a common negotiation technique in official domains; members of the Tuls family were well-versed in this. If the person he was conversing with were an equally scheming noble, he might have easily seen through it and retaliated. However, the man currently conversing with him clearly didn’t possess such awareness or abilities.
“M-my lord, I understand what you’re saying, but if this encirclement fails again, it’ll really be hard to hide! Those demons are frantically looking for us, each one fiercer than the last, employing all sorts of bizarre methods that even our experienced brothers in the gang have never seen before, and the other three factions are also taking the opportunity to trip us up.”
“Though we’ve put in a lot of resources this time, relying only on traps and the small number of your people from the first and second teams, if those guys slip away again…”
Understanding the other party’s difficulties, the City Lord’s tone turned somewhat helpless.
“Besides that group aiding you, the other city guards and internal security are fully engaged in pursuing the demons, and the funds have been supplied adequately. This should sufficiently demonstrate our sincerity in cooperation. As long as this plan succeeds, even if we can’t wipe them out completely, we can surely inflict heavy losses on those beasts, then the pressure on you will significantly lessen.”
“These demons are indeed tricky and powerful, but that just shows they’re getting desperate. This must be their important elite forces; once devoured, it’ll definitely hit the magical beasts hard.”
“If handled properly, for hundreds of years to come, our human race could wholly suppress the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, or even turn them into a breeding ground. The potential benefits, I don’t need to mention, right? Remember, whether this plan succeeds or not isn’t key, but for sure, the Ghost Thieves gang must keep that cub hidden!”
The man, presumably a member of the Ghost Thieves, sounded somewhat puzzled.
“My lord, I don’t quite understand. Since the magical beasts value this cub so much, why don’t we just kill it? After all, we’ve researched it for quite a while without any results, and that thing seems to be sleeping all day, not eating or drinking, totally unlike ordinary Moonshadow cubs; it feels really strange.”
“Idiot, listen to me! Until there’s permission, you absolutely can’t let that abomination die! The Moonshadow Clan will surely sense their prince’s status. Only alive can they hold back and not dare to confront us directly. Do you understand?”
“The Abyss war in the south came too suddenly; it greatly disrupted our deployment, leaving our national military forces still not fully assembled… I know this is hard for you, but no matter what, we need to hold out until the main army reaches the northern border; otherwise, all of this will lose its significance.”
The City Lord’s severe tone suddenly softened, and Lan knew this was her father’s way of soothing the other party, giving verbal promises, painting grand visions.
Just the usual trick of a politician.
Sure enough, Tyler’s warm, friendly voice continued from inside as if it were two intimately close friends chatting.
“Rest assured, as long as this works out, you will be the great benefactor of the entire human race; the promised rewards will come as stated. I can even secretly support your Ghost Thieves to become the true rulers of the underground underworld of Demon Town, stepping on the other three organizations.”
“So… let’s keep putting in the effort; this is the last darkness before dawn.”
It seemed this guy inside, even if not the leader of the Ghost Thieves, was definitely some important high-up.
Being able to work his way up in such a large poaching organization and directly handle such significant tasks surely meant he had some skills. But unfortunately, compared to the shrewd Tyler Tuls, this guy clearly lacked experience and intellect and was easily bamboozled.
After a moment of silence, he could only grit his teeth and take the empty promise Tyler offered, ending the conversation in the absence of anything further from the other side, just some lip service.
“Alright, we’ll do our best to hide; regarding that plan, once we get a bite, we’ll report back to you promptly. But if things go wrong, please encourage your men to strengthen the city’s defenses. Recently, our brothers have suffered heavy casualties, and they don’t even dare to go out.”
“Yes, naturally ~ after all, cooperation requires effort from both sides.”
Tyler continued his usual ambiguous tone to soothe the other party.
Footsteps echoed from within; Lan knew the Ghost Thieves guy was probably about to leave.
Though she desperately wanted to leap in right now and catch the criminal mastermind of this poaching gang, her father would surely not let her do as she wished. At this point, tearing off the disguise served no purpose; it would only further harden and worsen the situation.
Since she had already chosen to collaborate with Vilyric, Lan decided to hide her own stance as effectively as possible to resolve this incident.
The girl leaped gracefully like a spirit cat onto the roof, making no sound and crouching down to wait quietly.
Not long after, someone pushed open the study door and hurriedly left through the side path. Lan, listening to the faint footsteps, didn’t dare to look.
She knew many poachers were very sensitive to visuals, a survival instinct honed from years spent in danger-filled beast territories. Risking exposure for a moment’s curiosity was clearly not worth it.
Once the person left, Lan estimated the time and waited a little longer on the roof before jumping down. Deliberately, she walked back from afar, stepping heavily to create clear footfalls before knocking on the study door.
“Who! Wasn’t it ordered that no one is allowed to come in and disturb?!”
Along with Tyler’s voice came the hurried sounds of him tidying some papers, and Lan let out a sigh internally while putting on a façade of ignorance, speaking in her usual cool tone.
“Father, it’s me. Are you busy?”
“Ah? Little Lan?! Why are you suddenly back home at this time? Wait a moment! Dad will be right there!”
The City Lord seemed quite surprised by his daughter’s sudden visit, his tone mixed with unhidden joy. The sounds of frantic tidying stopped abruptly, replaced by the light noises of adjusting his cap, sweeping the floor, and straightening his attire. In no time, the door swung open from the inside.
What appeared before her was a middle-aged man of around forty, dressed in a dark golden patterned satin robe, his black short hair tied into a bun topped with a hat representing the City Lord’s authority, with sharp features giving him an imposing presence.
But coupled with his somewhat fawning smile, it looked rather odd and out of place.
“Little, little Lan, you’re back! Really… why didn’t you notify me in advance? At least I could arrange for someone to welcome you properly and give you a reception… Ah! You must be hungry, right? Come in and have some fruit first; I’ll go have the kitchen prepare a feast!”
Watching the familiar face, the City Lord of Demon Town clumsily floundered, and Lan let out another silent sigh in her heart.
This was another important reason she chose to move out.
Tyler Tuls, her father, was a hopeless, hopeless daughter fan.
