163

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the passenger ship entered the waters of the Rorsted Islands. Although it is already early winter on land, there is still a slight warm wind at sea. The sea is always synonymous with opportunity and chaos, and all kinds of people mingle in the city, bringing a lively atmosphere that is completely different from that of the north and south continents.

After the ship docked in his familiar little port, Richard Ernst unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, carried his small black suitcase, and slowly disembarked with the people who arrived at his destination. Most of the people who worked in the harbor were dark-skinned Southern Continent low-class people and natives with distinctive clothing styles, who worked under the stewards who wore canes and top hats, and were severely reprimanded and even whipped for the slightest slack.

The colonists of the Northern Continent have almost omnipotent privileges here, and even if they kill one or two natives, the worst punishment is repatriation, and even a small amount of money can be used to open the joints. The bureaucrats of the civilized world would not refuse the opportunity to make money, and the local people would not make enmity with the superior people for the sake of their lives. As for the price of compensation...... It's so cheap that the merchants who can come here don't care at all.

Richard was surprised by all this, but he was not used to it, because once upon a time, he was one of them.

The child of the invaders, a half-breed of Fursack, and a colonist father whom she had never met, could not afford to raise her mother, who was slowly declining.

The shoe-shine tools in his satchel, the mud and vegetable leaves that fell on him, the neighboring aunts and sisters who were taken away by the slave traders and never seen again, the royal family and the Church of the Bound God, who were indifferent to the suffering of the people, accused their resistance to the war of barbarism in the northern continent countries.

Richard Ernst genuinely felt that the ideas of temperance had begun to be distorted and that a radical change was needed.

When the Kingdom of the Highlands was still alive and the Rose School was still the "Church of the Bound God", as the national orthodox church, it certainly had the ability to restrain the people to live a hard and peaceful life. But now that the Highland Kingdom has been dead for decades, it would be foolish to still dream of such a clean life, a little escapism and self-deception.

If you follow the concept of "self-control and inner restraint", you will either have the ability to make others follow you willingly, like the legendary saints, even enemies will be impressed by your virtues; Either move yourself. Otherwise, when the enemy's butcher's knife falls, when the cries of the people are heard, when the anger and hatred are burning, and you still choose moderation, it is an escape.

Otherwise, when do you want to break out if you blindly control yourself?

Richard took a deep breath.

Hate?...... No, I've let go of hatred.

Forgive? No, it's a sin that can never be forgiven.

Sure enough, there are always things that cannot be controlled. For example, the desire for freedom, the yearning for dignity, and the love for one's homeland.

164

Temperance wiped his nose with his hand and hired an elderly local to be his guide, asking him to take him to the nearest Ernst Foundation affiliate. The old man was still a little afraid of her civilized and upright demeanor and tall figure, but she spoke fluent in the native language, and soon dispelled the old man's defenses, and began to talk to her relaxedly.

Richard was surprised to learn that the old man had worked at the Ernst Foundation for decades. Because he has no culture, he can only work as a chef. Later, when he got older, he lost his right hand in a robbery attack (the old man shook his empty sleeve). Unable to work, he cultivated in the workhouse until he was able to take care of himself, and then he left voluntarily to find another way to make a living, and it has been ten years.

Hearing that the young man who asked him to lead the way had something to do with the Foundation, a very shallow smile appeared on the old man's sad face, and the wrinkles between his eyebrows that had been painstakingly polished also stretched out a little.

"When I was working there, there was a little girl...... I especially like to eat my cooking, ahem......" said the old man slowly, his eyes full of the sparkle of memories of the good old days, "She sings very well, and she is very lively and active, and she has light blue hair. The way she laughed, exactly like my missing little daughter......"

Richard thought for a moment and asked with a smile, "Is it called Cosette?"

"Like...... I don't remember exactly. The old man pondered at first, then sighed heavily, "Ahem, it's been so many years...... If she grows up, her children should be that old......"

The two chatted and walked through the bustling port and city center to a small two-story building on the outskirts of the city.

"Here we are, sir."

"Thank you for your help." Richard made a subplot and turned the five-pound bill into a sule note and handed it to the old man.

The old man thanked him and left. Richard looked into the small building and found the shadow of someone moving in the small courtyard behind, so he tentatively shouted, "Mr. Solala? Is that you?"

Behind the wall, a head poked out, then three small heads, and then a middle-aged woman came out generously and opened the door for Richard, then turned back, reached out and slapped Xie Ding's head hard, making a crisp sound like a ripe watermelon.

“…… Oh my God, Richard! It's really you, you're back! ”

Mr. Solaila, who had a happy face, ran over with a big belly that made people feel safe, and gave Richard a big hug. Then he found himself on Richard's chest, and quickly pushed her away, looking up and down: "Are you taller again?"

Richard laughed, "That's what you said last time."

"It's good to be young, it's good to be young, you can grow taller when you're young." Mr. Sola, who was not short in stature but was not so secure, was very emotional, patted the young man on the shoulder vigorously, and laughed, "How long ago did you last walk?" Three years ago? Five years ago? The little girls you sent have all grown up, and only a few children are left with me! ”

"By the way, how old are you, in your twenties? It's all here, just have a drink with me and then go! ”

"Don't listen to him." Mrs. Durda complained to her husband, pointing out to the children behind her and the children who were secretly peeking in the small garden, "Remember? They're all babies you snatched back from the slave traders. Well, the girls have grown up, they have gone out to get married and have their own families, and they will come back to see us every year. ”

"Mr. Garland gave us enough budget to adopt five children, but we also have jobs ourselves, so we funded a few more...... Our eldest son went to study in Rune, graduated two years ago, and is now back to work for the company. It's a decent job, we're already planning a marriage for him, ah, we have a young son......"

Richard listened with a smile, and Mr. Solaila, who had always lacked patience with his wife's chatter, was already cheering back in the backyard to play with the children. Institutions at sea are managed differently than in the northern continent because the city is too crowded and chaotic. Too many vulnerable people gather and are easy targets for traffickers and the most vicious.

Therefore, there are almost no orphanages and workhouses in the true sense of the word, but the adoption and sponsorship of children in the form of families. There is no way to leave a large amount of money for the expenses without providing all the accommodations, but there is also a certain level of safety for the children.

"Which one is your youngest son?" Ask questions.

Mr. Solaila laughed and pulled all the children together with his arm: "They are!"

"Stop making a fuss." Madame Durda couldn't help but laugh, pointing to one of the children, whose hair was slightly red, and said, "This is our child." ”

"He's lovely." Richard looked at the somewhat shy little boy seriously and smiled, "He's definitely going to be a great guy." ”

"Since you're here, let's have dinner and then leave, and I'll entertain you with the wine and cured meat I brewed myself!" "If you wish, tell the children a story, and I'm curious where you've been all these years and what you're doing when you're coming back." ”

165

Maria knocked on Issinger Stanton's door. An apprentice-like man in a brown vest poked his head out vigilantly, and when he saw that it was a lady, his expression and tone softened: "Hello?"

"Hello, I have a commission and would like to see Mr. Stanton."

The apprentice nodded, turned and closed the door. After a while, he reopened the door again, and made a gesture to invite Maria in: "Mr. Stanton has no schedule now, ma'am, you can come in and talk about it."

Maria was overjoyed, hurriedly entered the door, neatly sorted out her appearance, and clutched the document bag in her hand. She disguised herself today, covering the most representative scar on her face, dyed her hair and changed into a skirt and high heels, looking like a slim young beauty, no one would associate her with the lawyer principal in the East Side who was particularly vigorous and fierce. Esinger waited in the parlor, and when he saw the guests coming, the old gentleman got up to greet him. After a brief greeting and a look at each other, Maria took the initiative to explain her intentions:

"Mr. Stanton, I have long heard of it, I would like to ask you to help me investigate a matter......" The apprentice brought hot tea, she pulled out a few pieces of paper from the document bag in her hand, and spread them out on the coffee table, "I am a businessman, doing a simple processing business, and there is my processing factory in the East End. But Mr. Caping robbed me of my goods by some unfair means, wounded my workers, and demanded a ransom from me, otherwise he threatened me with no further business. ”

"I was going to report the matter to the West Villas field, but I couldn't accept the case because there was no evidence. Soon to the dead line that Caping is asking for, and I would like to entrust you, a well-known private detective, with some investigation...... Here are my pictures of the workers who have disappeared, I suspect they are being held in Kapin, and I hope you can help me find the place where they are being held, and I want them to return to their families. ”

Isinger furrowed his eyebrows slightly, and read intently with the file provided by Maria, but he didn't say anything, just slowly exhaled puffs of thin white smoke through his pipe.

Maria waited silently, and finally heard Issinger speak, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't accept this commission."

"I understand your concerns, Capping has a large number of people in the East End, and I don't mind you distributing this commission to more detectives, I ...... I have sufficient funds to reduce your risk. Maria touched the account and the check in her pocket, and was heartbroken, but relieved.

"Not really, ma'am...... I am touched by your kindness for you to want to rescue your own workers, but Kapin has been entrenched in the East End for too long, even the police dare not act rashly, and we private investigators can do very little. ”

Mr. Issinger politely refused.

"No, sir, I just hope you'll get a little bit of the structure of his house, and whatever method ......you use," Maria's voice was a little dry, "even if it's just a change of crew within the mansion...... It is also possible to ...... I'm going to have to bring them back. ”

"Ma'am, I really want to help you, but this is beyond my ability, you should call the police instead of asking the detectives."

Issinger sighed and focused on the police, trying to hint that the lady across the street was not trying to play tricks with Kapin, who had deep connections and covert support. But in order not to make the lady sad and despairing, he still comforted: "But Russell the Great said: Whoever walks through will leave traces." Capping will definitely leave a lot of clues behind by doing these things, and maybe you need to be patient and wait a little longer, and if you find evidence, you will definitely be able to bring him to justice. ”

Of course I do...... Oh, this incident actually happened in April last year, and it is still refusing to stand up because there is no evidence. If I hadn't personally killed the people and snatched them back, it is estimated that the grass on the grave is ...... meters high by now! Maria smiled reluctantly, and the two of them played Tai Chi for a while, and she knew that she could not move Isengard, so she had to take her leave.

Leaving Issinger's house, Maria looked at the list of available detectives, Stuart, Kaslana, Moriarty...... Suddenly felt that the future was bleak: if even the strongest Eisinger Stanton refused because he was worried about the forces behind the other party, then it was impossible for other small detectives in his name to agree Not to mention that Maria herself could not conceal the news or coerce and induce for the purpose.

It is not necessarily useful for the heads of other cities to come, everyone is a sequence 6 or even lower. The only one who might be able to help is Mr. Garland De, the "janitor" of the Rorsted Islands, but it will take days for them to arrive, and it is difficult to guess what will happen in the meantime.

What the hell is going to do......

TBC

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"My son works for the East India Company, which is a decent job......"

In the transition chapter, I'm going to skip the plot of Crane Sharon and them fighting the Rose School, but it doesn't feel like it's going to work.

Put one tonight (I'll study what the VIP chapter is), and tomorrow it will be updated as usual at half past twelve.