Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Lin Gui's gaze swept into the depths of the warehouse.

The shelves and display cases spread out in his field of vision, like a silent treasure trove.

His gaze fell on a half-open tin box, revealing a section of transparent crystal edge inside.

That's a barrier stone, and one of the highest quality, almost without any cracks.

In a crystal cabinet next to it.

A fist-sized, dark red crystal was suspended in the air.

The interior has fine, flowing patterns.

That's the core material for epic demons.

Further on, there were several long, thin boxes wrapped in velvet, which, judging from their shape, should be staffs or longswords.

A small section of the silver-white staff was visible from the corner of one of the boxes.

A fine rune pattern is engraved on the surface.

It gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the lamp.

Elvia stood beside Lin Gui, her gaze sweeping over the collection one by one.

Her expression was initially calm.

But as her gaze swept over more and more exhibits, her brows began to furrow slightly.

The contents of this very rough warehouse in front of me, even after only a cursory glance.

Its value is in no way inferior to that of the expo that brought together the treasures of all the magical families in the Thousand Towers.

Some of the exhibits are even items that you might not see at the Qianta Exhibition.

How could a treasury of a border city-state contain so many rare treasures?

Elvia's doubts did not last long.

Theodore led the three of them along the aisle between the shelves.

He walked slowly, casually introducing the collection around him as he went.

"This barrier stone comes from the Mill Land."

"The core of that epic demon came from Galvin Port."

"The short sword next to it was made by a dwarf blacksmith from Mist Anchor Bay."

His tone was flat, as if he were reading a regular list.

But Elvia's gaze sank lower and lower as he mentioned the place names.

[Millfield, Galvin Harbor, Fog Anchor Bay, Greywatch, Firewood Town, Anna Bell City, Golden Harvest Village, Windmill Ridge, Old Post Station, Meltlight City, Bluestone Fortress, Octavia.]

She knew every single name.

Those were all city-states on the southeastern border.

It is distributed in a narrow strip of land east of the red soil desert and south of the boundless desert.

They belong to the periphery of the central city-state circle.

A border city-state that barely manages to function by relying on trade and local resources.

She was particularly familiar with one of them.

Octavia.

Her gaze lingered on a semi-transparent crystal cabinet.

Inside was a dilapidated oil lamp that exuded an ancient charm.

A bronze plaque was affixed to the cabinet door, with a line of neat characters engraved on it.

Octavia: The Soul Lamp

Elvia stopped in her tracks.

She stared at the line of text, her brows slowly furrowing.

She recognized it, but wasn't this a treasure of the city-state of Octavia?

"A soul lamp?"

Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty and doubt.

"Why would Octavia's treasures be here?"

Theodore turned around, glanced at her, and still had that gentle smile on his lips.

"Doesn't the Speaker know?"

His tone was very soft, as if he were talking about something that had long been common knowledge.

"Just six months ago, Octavia declared its demise."

"Including it, the seventeen city-states to the southeast..."

He paused, his gaze calmly sweeping over the shelves and display cases.

Elvia's pupils contracted slightly.

"What?"

How could seventeen city-states in the southeast have perished in just a few years?

The only thing that can be done is the Kuroshio Current.

"Wasn't the Kuroshio Current born in a remote, border region?"

"The 20th Kuroshio Current, known as the 'Eternal Night,' also did not pass through the southeast."

Theodore smiled and explained.

"Because of Annabelle, this granary of the southeast was turned into a dead city three years ago by rebels."

"As a result, the seventeen southeastern city-states also faced a food shortage."

"Originally, we were able to barely operate thanks to the food delivered by the transport guild."

"But last year, the transport association suffered heavy losses, and the transport teams that delivered grain were reassigned."

"The famine spread rapidly."

"Exchanging children to eat, white bones exposed in the wilderness..."

"With the departure of the last nobleman, those city-states were completely abandoned by the alliance."

"If that hadn't happened, perhaps they would still be alive and well."

"Those human tragedies will not happen."

"Millions of people will not die."

His smile deepened, and his gaze shifted from Elvia's face to the side.

It landed on a dark-haired figure who was staring intently at something.

"You're right, aren't you?"

His voice remained gentle, but the ending notes rose slightly.

"Lord Lin Gui."

From the moment they met, Theodore's probing never stopped.

He kept steer the conversation toward the Spark Revolution.

So naked, even the not-so-sensitive Lillian noticed something was wrong.

Elvia looked at Lin Gui with concern.

Theodore's behavior suggests that he has already guessed Lin Gui's identity.

Lin Gui is very distinctive, with rare black hair and black eyes.

Elvia believed that within the Starfire organization, his hair and eye color were probably unique.

The existence of memory points will continuously increase the probability of Lin Gui being exposed.

The other party's repeated probing was probably to confirm Lin Gui's identity.

The repeated retelling of the Xinghuo incident was intended to provoke the other party.

If Lin Gui is provoked by this, then the exposure of his identity would be extremely fatal for them.

Elvia looked nervously at Lin Gui.

Everyone was waiting for Lin Gui's answer.

Lin Gui, however, seemed not to have heard Theodore's words and simply glanced around at the collection.

The gray eyes started silently.

Then he reached out and took three items from the shelf.

He showed the three items to Theodore, speaking in a flat tone.

"I'll take these three items, is that alright?"

Theodore glanced at it, his eyes furrowing slightly.

Then he nodded.

"sure."

Lin Gui didn't say anything more.

He turned around, opened the cabinet, and roughly stuffed all three items into his backpack.

His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, and he didn't even glance at Theodore.

Then he glanced at the sun outside through the window, his tone still indifferent.

"Seven Coins Post Office does not intend to linger in the Red Earth Territory."

"Can the goods be prepared before sunset?"

Theodore did not speak.

He stared intently at Lin Gui's face.

Those sharp eyes were like a knife, slowly scraping across every inch of Lin Gui's features.

Lin Gui's Netherworld Eyes had already faded the moment he turned around.

His dark eyes calmly met Theodore's scrutiny.

The two stared at each other for a long time.

So long that the air became somewhat sticky.

Finally, she seemed a little embarrassed by being stared at.

Lin Gui raised his hand and gently tapped his cheek.

"Um—"

His tone carried just the right amount of confusion.

"Is there something on my face?"