The night gradually deepened, yet the lord's palace remained as bright as daylight.
Su Yao stood with Berkeley and Lina not far from the palace, surrounded by many other people.
A guard dressed in armor stepped onto the platform and shouted to the crowd, "Quiet!"
When these two words were shouted, they carried water magic, and as they fell into the crowd, a burst of coolness instantly spread, silencing those who were murmuring.
The guard continued, "The whole city is now recruiting information about the prophet of the Wolf Mercenary Group. If anyone has clues, they can come to the guards to report them. As long as the information is valuable and correct, they can receive a portion of meat. If someone can provide a crucial clue, there is a chance to meet the city lord directly, and the reward will be given based on the information provided, it will definitely not be less."
Before becoming the city lord, Chesterton was an ordinary commoner. By chance, he had the opportunity to learn magic and successfully made a significant contribution to the previous lord. From then on, his status rose dramatically, allowing him to step into the city lord's palace, and through his continued efforts, he successfully assumed the position of city lord.
Entering the city lord's palace to work for a total of ten years, and becoming the city lord for another twenty years, Chesterton changed his way of doing things, completely different from his previous impoverished appearance. However, he never forgot the hardships he had endured and still held the common people in his heart. After the war broke out, he was able to quickly gather such a large force, all thanks to his goodwill towards the people.
Chesterton believed that as long as he was good to these masses, they would surely gather a powerful force to help him.
Even now, when faced with difficulties, Chesterton still thought of these people first.
The Wolf Pack Mercenary Group suddenly intervened, and despite being targeted by various factions, it still showed signs of growth and expansion. This situation was very unfavorable for the city forces adjacent to them. Especially since they had a mysterious prophet among them, which severely disrupted their judgment. Therefore, Chesterton's first step was to figure out the situation with this prophet.
Chesterton's original words were: "As long as the prophet is a person, a living being on this continent, then he must have been seen, heard, or contacted by others... Perhaps not many have come into contact with him, but someone must have. We have no shortage of people under our command, and I refuse to believe we can't dig up a clue!"
This led to the assembly order for tonight.
All the people who heard the assembly order, whether they were indigenous residents or those who had recently entered the city, had to come to the city lord's gate to obey the issued command.
Su Yao nodded towards the siblings, and they instantly understood what she meant.
Just as I was dozing off, someone delivered a bed. Isn't this the perfect way to sneak into the City Lord's mansion and meet the City Lord?
"Let's observe for a bit, see how they're doing, and then we'll go over."
Berkeley and Lina replied, "Okay."
Upon hearing the guard mention that the reward included meat, the crowd instantly erupted with excitement, each person eager to rush forward and share clues with the guard.
Lina's arm hurt from being jostled by the crowd. To prevent getting separated, Berkeley took the initiative to hold his sister's hand and Su Yao's arm.
Lina curiously asked, "Isn't it said that prophets are people enlightened by the god of magic? Shouldn't everyone respect them? Why do these people dare to reveal things related to the prophet?"
Berkeley sighed, "Silly sister, all this talk of magic and prophets means nothing to these ordinary people compared to a piece of meat."
Meat, even in the affluent North, wasn't something they could eat every day. And ever since the war broke out, they hadn't seen meat at all. A charlatan prophet was certainly not as important as a piece of meat!
"A piece of meat can do so many things. It can increase the happiness of a family that has long been deprived of meat, it can provide nutrition to a mother who has just given birth, it can help children and the elderly live a little longer, and it can give adults a bit more strength..."
Su Yao traveled through the North and witnessed many impoverished people. For them, meat was practically a priceless treasure, something they dreamed of eating. "But the relationship with prophets, magic gods, and them was weak. An ordinary person who couldn't even perform magic relied on farming and raising pigs to make a living. Did they really believe they were under the protection of magic gods?"
Lina also understood: "If I couldn't use magic, I might be like that too. How can a prophet be more important than a piece of meat..."
The crowd grew increasingly chaotic, and three people had already been pushed outside, unable to see the situation of those at the very front.
But Su Yao seemed to be able to guess what had happened ahead. Someone must have successfully provided a clue and gotten the meat.
The successful man swaggered out of the crowd with the meat in hand, and wherever he went, people around him would automatically make way for him.
Some people, after making way, continued to push forward, hoping to snatch the next piece of meat; some stayed where they were, watching the commotion; and many others had eyes that turned red with desire, intensely envious.
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"I wonder what clues he provided." Everyone who provides clues will enter a separate room to prevent others from overhearing and copying, and to prevent some from taking ready-made answers to seek refuge with others.
The power of the people is indeed strong. After more than half an hour, two or three people actually provided the correct clues. However, the clue provided by the last person wasn't very valuable, so the meat reward was exchanged for a bag of bread.
But regardless of the reward, it was enough to prove that the city lord was genuinely seeking clues, and the method was very discreet and convenient.
Su Yao and the other two were no longer prepared to wait. Each of them donned a cloak, covering their faces, and squeezed to the front.
"I want to provide a very useful clue, but I must see the city lord first before I can say anything," Su Yao stated concisely after seeing the young guard.
The young guard was taken aback and wanted to curse, but he quickly realized that the other person was a magician and of a higher rank than himself.
The young guard was at level 4, and the level he couldn't discern was at least level 5. High-level mages who could still stay in the city and not go to the battlefield were not ordinary. The young guard was afraid he had encountered someone he couldn't afford to offend, so he immediately called for his superior.
The officer had been working in the lord's palace for a long time and had seen all the nobles. He was certain that the three mages before him were definitely not native nobles of the city.
The officer's gaze changed, and a few sharp glints shot towards Su Yao and the other two: "You can see the city lord, but you must tell us what clues you can provide. Only when the clues are deemed satisfactory can you pass through this door."
In the officer's mind, Su Yao and the other two had already been silently labeled as "troublemakers."
Su Yao didn't care, but she had to see the city lord: "It's a matter of great importance, I must see the city lord to speak."
"What words must be said only when you see me?"
Just as the officer was about to continue the standoff with Su Yao and the other two, a voice suddenly emerged from behind them.
This was a sound the officer was all too familiar with; he immediately turned around to pay his respects.
The lord waved his hand, directly allowing him to stand up.
The city lord did not continue speaking with the officer; his gaze remained fixed on Su Yao and the other two. "I am the city lord. May I ask how these three warriors are addressed? Are they natives of Aos City? And what crucial information requires meeting with me personally?"
As soon as Chesterton finished his work, he started thinking about the prophet. He was so anxious that he decided to get up and go out to see the situation for himself.
Unexpectedly, upon coming out, a new situation was indeed discovered.
The attire of these three people made Chesterton very distrustful, and his naturally cautious nature led him to ask a few more questions.
Su Yao had already met the person, so she wasn't in such a hurry anymore. Knowing Chesterton's personality, she took the initiative to answer his question, dispelling his doubts.
Su Yao honestly told Chesterton about the identities of the three of them and also explained how they entered the city.
This kind of frankness was something Berkeley and Lina had encountered not long ago, when Su Yao's words had left them stunned again and again. Now Chesterton wore the same expression.
"Hahaha, brave magician, you really are a very straightforward person! I, Chesterton, love to communicate with people like you. Since you say there are other clues, come in then, tell me about these clues, and I am willing to pay for them!"
Su Yao's occasional candid behavior worked quite well, and the three of them successfully entered the palace.
Sitting at the table, Su Yao didn't waste any time and directly told Chesterton some of the information she knew: "The prophet of the Wolf Pack Mercenary Group has been around for a long time. His abilities are stronger than the previous prophet, who was the child of Earl Aston. He can make predictions about all things that evoke strong feelings."
Chesterton was eager to maintain his amiable image, but this remark indeed put him on edge. "Everything? If he feels strongly about the form of war, wouldn't that mean he could constantly predict and guide every move of the Wolf Pack Mercenaries?"
"That's about it. This is also one of the reasons why their small mercenary group has been able to survive for so long among your three major forces."
Chesterton stroked the weapon-like device in his hand, a tool used for lie detection. The diamond on the device did not light up, indicating that Su Yao had not lied to him just now.
"In this way, who could still be a match for the Wolf Pack Mercenary Group?"
Chesterton was unwilling, unwilling to be toyed with by fate in this manner.
Su Yao did not belong to any northern faction, but she could introduce ideas from other factions. Everyone was engaged in the most primitive methods of competition, yet suddenly a prophet appeared. How was this any different from cheating?
"Is there anything else?" Chesterton knew that the person in front of him surely had some other clues.
"There is indeed." Su Yao stood up, looked at Chesterton, and said very seriously, "But I hope the lord can cooperate with us on one operation."
"This action is beneficial to you without any harm, and after success, I can share another clue with you."
Chesterton's eyes narrowed slightly: "Is this good? You're not fooling me, are you?"