Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

The next morning, Wayne received the newspaper he had ordered in advance.

Although he was mentally prepared, Wayne was still taken aback by the big moves Ascalon made in one night.

"Three headlines: [A silent banquet hall, a silent warlock and his guests.], [Streets strewn with corpses, a premeditated murder?], [Assassination, a smiling entrepreneur sniped in the street, the joint meeting holds Lateran envoy accountable late at night!] Wow, this is quite a commotion."

Wayne exclaimed in surprise, drawing curious glances from Theresa and Kal'tsit, who were having breakfast in the restaurant. They were also startled.

Theresa was probably the person who knew Ascalon best among those present, but she was still somewhat surprised to see Ascalon go on such a killing spree and cause such a huge uproar so soon after arriving in Rembiton.

"The nobles of Letania were murdered in Rembito, and everyone who was at the banquet was killed. Won't this attract the attention of the Elector and the Twin Queens?"

Kal'tsit added, "The direct assassination of the chairman of a large Rembitox company and a prominent politician is no small matter." She pointed to a line of text in the report, "However, Ascalon seems to have done some cover-up; she placed related items from several cases at the crime scenes of other cases. Was she trying to create the appearance of a three-way conflict?"

“I think she probably just wants people to connect the three things,” Wayne commented. “Rather than a cover-up, this attempt to conceal the truth is more like a provocation, like a child who stole cake leaving their pet's collar on the table. It’s like trying to hide something obvious.”

Wayne shrugged. "But that's not the point. The point is, we need to clean up this mess now." He looked at Kal'tsit and instructed, "According to the plan we agreed on last night, Kal'tsit, you're in charge of investigating these people's dirt. Theresa, you're in charge of writing the article, and I'll handle the final publication. Joseph Pulitzer's second draft of the new year is coming. This time there are more targets, so if possible, don't limit yourself to just these two or three people."

Indeed, having anticipated Ascalon's potential scandal, Wayne was certainly well-prepared. More than half a month had passed since his shocking report on the Londinium Massacre, and it was time to shift the focus of Terra's attention from the empty noble courts of Victoria to this unclaimed kingdom in the mines. Once the chaos was exposed by the righteous Joseph Pulitzer, Wayne would have ample reason to propose reforms to the current Rembitone policies and systems at the Rembitone National Union Conference without appearing abrupt or strange. With three votes in Victoria and the support of the general public, improving the lives of the Infected through these issues would be a certainty.

In this way, Ascalon helped eliminate several ambitious individuals who would have hindered the mining operations, Joseph Pulitzer exposed Rembitox and continued to gain fame, and Wayne could use this opportunity to implement a new round of reforms, improve the lives of the infected in the mining area, and quell the riots. Killing three birds with one stone, Wayne won three times over.

Kal'tsit nodded admiringly. Such a scheme was something she herself could never have devised. Kal'tsit was a conservative; in situations like this, she preferred to avoid conflict and keep a low profile. Only Wayne could connect these events in unimaginable ways, ultimately achieving a perfect plan. This was one of the reasons Kal'tsit admired Wayne. If everything she did was "able to change her own situation, but powerless against the decay of the entire world," then Wayne truly achieved "changing herself while simultaneously changing society."

She bowed respectfully and quickly retreated to complete her mission. Gathering intelligence wasn't her primary job, but as someone who prided herself on being "omniscient," intelligence gathering was one of her specialties. Let alone a few wealthy politicians in Rembiton, far removed from the core of Terra, if she wanted, it wouldn't be impossible for her to find out the color of the Letanian Twin Queens' underwear today, using her millennia-old connections and shrewd methods!

Theresa watched Kal'tsit leave, then turned to Wayne and said:

Are you planning to meet Ascalon?

“Forget it,” Wayne waved his hand. “She should be resting now. We’re both working together in Babel, we’ll see each other someday. More importantly, what’s the situation in Letania, Theresa? Has the Elector started another rebellion?”

Letania was a very strange country. As one of the near-first-rate nations in Terra, Letania had the highest level of feudalism. During the Witch King's reign, a system like a council didn't even exist. The nobles resided in high towers, wielding real power over their respective territories, while the Witch King used magic to monitor the entire country. If anyone rebelled, the entire city would be magically turned into a ghost town. Such cases were commonplace. Only after the Witch King fell from the tower and the twin queens ascended the throne did the situation improve slightly.

But this is only a small part. Lacking the terrifying magical prowess of the Witch King, the Twin Queens cannot monitor the entire nation at all times. They can only consolidate their rule by traveling throughout the country in their royal carriages, using the "Queen's Voice" technique. Meanwhile, the noble forces in the provinces, once suppressed by the Witch King's autocratic rule, have made a comeback. It's common for people to know only their lords, not the Queens. It's also normal for government orders to leave the capital and for public sentiment to remain outside the central government. The seven most powerful nobles, the "Seven Electors" of Letania, have already begun to rebuild their power and are plotting new conspiracies. Under these circumstances, the entire Letania exhibits an extreme xenophobic tendency. It's extremely rare to see a high-ranking Letanian official in Rembiton, let alone one who attends a banquet and shows unusual interest in Rembiton's mines.

Whether he was a sign that Letania wanted to re-enter the Terra inner circle after the Witch King's era, or simply an isolated case, Wayne was very curious.

But Theresa surprisingly claimed to be unaware of this: "I don't know either. Mr. Bruce, this may only be known after you or Vina contact the Leitanian ambassador upon returning to Londinium. But as far as I know, it is true that several electors have taken action."

“I see.” Wayne nodded. “Then I’ll send Vina a message and ask her to reach out to Ambassador Letania to express her condolences.”

Theresa nodded sheepishly, then said with a wry smile, "Isn't what we're doing a bit mean?"

Wayne was taken aback and asked, "Why?"

"We sent assassins to kill their nobles, and then went specifically to offer condolences? Isn't that a bit...?"

It's a bit like slapping you and then asking if you feel good.

Wayne realized what was happening and chuckled. He added another sentence to the message he sent to Vina:

"Send them two more wreaths."

Chapter Ninety-Three: Me and My Illiterate Guard

"To my dearest brother: I invited the ambassador of Letania to lunch this afternoon and conveyed your condolences to him. The ambassador of Letania was flattered and said he would pass your message on to the Twin Queens. As for the wreath you intended to send her, due to differences in tradition, I was unable to find the Yan Kingdom funeral items you mentioned in Londinium. Please forgive me for settling for two Yan Kingdom red window decorations and stickers purchased from a shop and giving them to him. Your dearest sister—Vina Victoria Bruce."

When Wayne saw the letter, he almost burst out laughing so hard his facial muscles twitched.

He thought he had been quite ruthless, but Vina was even more so. At least a wreath is a funeral item and expresses some condolences. Since Vina couldn't find a wreath, she actually sent a "Fu" character and paper-cut window decorations instead. Was she congratulating Letania on the death of a nobleman or reminding the twin queens to turn a funeral into a celebration?

Anyone who didn't know better would think Letania was celebrating the New Year too. I wonder if the Gemini Queens will get so angry they'll get wrinkles after receiving this gift. My apologies.

The Babel Tower members, who had already joined Wayne and the others, were also in the villa at the resort. Surtr stood behind Wayne, her upper body leaning on the sofa, legs crossed, eating ice cream while peeking out from beside Wayne's head to read the letter—a letter she could only half-understand due to her limited literacy. But the haughty Miss Surtr would never admit to being illiterate; as she read, she nodded along with Wayne's movements, laughing foolishly, occasionally guessing the meaning and offering her own interpretations. After Wayne laughed, Surtr immediately nodded in agreement:

"Miss Vina did a really good job."

Knowing Surtr's background all along, Wayne tilted his head back, looking up at Surtr's fair neck and chin with an upward gaze, and asked with a particularly curious expression:

"Really? You think so too?"

Upon hearing Wayne's question, Surtr nodded firmly, as if afraid that if he didn't nod quickly enough, Wayne would see through his ruse:

"Of course, Princess Vina is very capable. Although her hammer is not as big as Niyan's, it still has a lot of presence when she swings it. And Princess Vina can also use a sword, although her swordsmanship is a little bit worse than mine."

Besides sticking the sword into the ground and handing everything else over to Leivadin, your great-aunt actually has a swordsmanship technique? That's truly an eye-opener for me.

Wien mentally scoffed, not exposing Surtr's arrogant little trick. Instead, he encouraged him, "That's perfect, Surtr. I'm tired of reading. How about you read the second half of this letter for me?"

Surtr's smug expression froze slightly, but the boast he made was like water spilled—it couldn't be taken back. Surtr was also the kind of person who refused to admit defeat no matter what, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree, "Fine, I'll read it then, but let me make it clear beforehand that this isn't part of the guard duty, and it'll cost extra!"

“Alright, alright.” Wayne nodded with a smile, handing Vina’s second letter to Surtr behind him. The red-haired Sarkaz girl propped herself up on the sofa, nimbly leaping from behind to sit down. She held the letter in her hands, her eyes flashing with a sharper light than when she was on the battlefield, trying to deconstruct the densely packed Victorian cursive script on the letter.

"I've finished talking about serious matters..." Surtr stammered, his face beginning to flush as time passed and under Wayne's gaze. "Now we should... talk about other things... brother, you..."

Surtr suddenly stopped. Just as Wayne thought she had finally exhausted the little knowledge he had retained from not paying attention in class and was about to speak up for her, Surtr suddenly spoke fluently:

"Brother, are you suffering from some serious illness? Why are you making your dear sister do all this pointless work? Do you know how busy I am every day? If you send me a message next time without even a simple greeting or closing remark about how hard your sister works, I'll have a unicorn capture you and drag you back to Londinium, lock you in the palace, and train your mouth to use polite phrases for three days and three nights. I'll train your body so that no matter how far you go, you'll always feel for your hardworking sister back home. Do you understand? The reason I'm writing this letter by hand instead of emailing is so you can experience the *rich Victorian adjectives* of your dear sister's anger!"

Wayne's hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, recoiled as if electrocuted, then darted out again like a snake emerging from its hole, snatching the second half of the letter back from Surtr's grasp. Surtr proudly raised his head, boasting, "What's wrong? I haven't finished reading it yet."

"No need to read it anymore, no need to read it anymore."

Wayne quickly waved his hand. If Surtr continued reading so loudly, and it attracted the attention of other members of the Tower of Babel, Queen Victoria's image of gentleness, wisdom, and intelligence would be completely ruined.

Hey Vina, are the etiquette teachers in the palace driven crazy by us? How come there are so many swear words in your speech that even Surtr, who is a master of swear words, can read it fluently?

Why don't you just buy a few more "Fu" characters and paper-cut window decorations and give them to the etiquette teachers as year-end gifts?

You can burn it for them.

Wayne didn't want to read anymore, but Surtr, who had just enjoyed being a top student who could "know everything on the test," wasn't so easily satisfied and tried to snatch the letter away again with a look of unfulfilled desire. But Wayne, as a ballerina who had spent years walking on the edge of a knife and dancing on three eggs, was naturally agile and skillful. No matter how much Surtr pounced or grabbed, he couldn't get close to Wayne, let alone snatch the letter.

The two chased each other back and forth inside the house, all the way to the entrance. Theresa, who had just gone outside the resort to distribute some relief food to the infected, was taking off her shoes when, by sheer coincidence, she was bumped into by Wayne and fell to the ground. Surtr, who obviously didn't notice the Sarkaz queen who had been knocked down by Wayne, leaped over and crashed into Wayne, his horns nearly piercing through the shoe cabinet in the entrance.

"Mr. Bruce, get up!" After her initial surprise, Theresa blushed and called out.

Wayne immediately relayed the Demon King's order and, in a gentlemanly manner, rebuked Surtr, who was lying on top of him, "Surtr, get up!"

Surtr had just grasped the letter he'd been longing for and was about to continue executing Wayne when he realized the enormity of his mistake. He quickly got up, helped Wayne and Theresa to their feet, and apologized:

"Theresia, I'm sorry."

Theresa dusted off her white dress, paused at the words, looked up, and scrutinized Surtr and Wayne from head to toe with an unusually cold gaze. After confirming that there was no inexplicable emotion in Surtr's eyes, she nodded.

"Don't be so crazy at home next time. Also, don't say that again."

Surtr looked up blankly and asked, "Why?"

Theresa pointed to her ear and glared at Wayne: "I've been hearing this a lot lately. My ears are tired of it."

Wayne instinctively followed up with a concerned question: "Shall I help you scoop it out?"

Theresa tilted her head, raised her hand to cover her mouth, and praised with a forced smile, "Mr. Bruce is truly a master of playing dumb!"

Chapter Ninety-Four: What a brilliant example of reverse thinking!

Shortly after Theresa's return, Kal'tsit also returned. Kal'tsit's appearances always brought good news to Wayne, and this time was no exception. After a series of secret investigations through her connections, Kal'tsit successfully obtained a series of damaging details about the victim Wayne had requested to assassinate. This meant that, after Theresa's integration and polishing, the information could be turned into a news article, which Wayne would then add his title and name to, and send to the Londinium Morning Post, once again causing a sensation throughout Terra.

But the good news doesn't stop there. While completing this side quest, Kal'tsit didn't forget the main quest in Rembiton. Aside from Patriot Bodracasti, whose size and appearance are so conspicuous that he's rarely seen in public, the rest of the Babel members, except for Surtr and Mudrock who remained at the resort, have all gone to the Rabbit Mine to assist the rested Snow Demon mercenary group in their sweeping and investigation work. News came this morning that the preliminary investigation is complete, and engineering operators can be dispatched to the site for excavation and exploration.

Wayne and the others could choose to go to the Rabbit Mine with the engineering team, or they could choose to go after the excavation and exploration were completed, the location of the ruins was confirmed, and the formal archaeological investigation began. This way, they could stay at the resort for a few more days, since the accommodations around the mine were really not good. However, Wayne naturally chose to go to the mine without hesitation, for a simple reason—if he didn't go sooner, where would he find Rabbit?

According to Frostnova Yelena, the only Carter's operator currently in the Tower of Babel, she has successfully made contact with a Carter settlement near the Rabbit Mine. Unfortunately, this settlement contains no young couples, no cute rabbits, only middle-aged miners who live in the mine from morning till night, and a few mine overseers. Her inquiries revealed that there are more than ten Carter settlements around the Rabbit Mine. Those closer to the mine are mostly temporary camps formed by young laborers who separated from several larger settlements. The settlements with elderly people and children, forming true villages and towns, are located further away.

Then Wayne couldn't stand it any longer. If he didn't go sooner, and Rhodes Island was dug up and Babel was about to be evacuated, where would he find a reason to stay in Rembiton and kidnap Amiya?

So, Kal'tsit returned in the afternoon, while Wayne left after dinner. His frighteningly high level of enthusiasm startled Kal'tsit and Theresa, who were used to Wayne lounging around and slacking off. If they weren't certain that Wayne hadn't had any contact with the local inhabitants during his stay in Rembiton, they would have thought he'd been "forced" to connect with some "trapped girl" again.

"You should view my actions without any prejudice, and not negate the process just because of the result. Objective dialectics is the best way for us to look at the world!" Wayne said seriously. Then he encountered Kal'tsit repeatedly explaining the ideological connotation of dialectical materialism in ten common languages, sixteen rare languages, and more than twenty death languages ​​(languages ​​used by extinct countries or races that are no longer used, generally referred to as death languages).

Wayne had to admit that the old woman had truly outshone him in terms of theoretical knowledge. He opened his mouth for a long time but couldn't utter a sound, as if he had seen his self-proclaimed "philosophical saint" high school politics teacher, and was as docile as a kitten less than a month old.

Afterwards, Wayne firmly stated (while Kal'tsit was away): So what? Appropriate failures are just a means to warm up feelings. In the end, the old lynx was still being manipulated by him, the Sea King!

Then Theresa pressed her cold horns against the back of Fate's neck.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. Crows flew south, and the sky was clear and serene, withered vines, old trees, and crows at dusk.

Wayne finally arrived at the Originium Mine, a place he had often heard about but never visited in person.

If anyone on Terra is the richest, it's undoubtedly those who trade in Originium. If anyone is the poorest, it's certainly those who mine raw Originium. The workers who build skyscrapers don't own a single brick of the structures they erect; the miners who extract Originium don't receive a single penny of the wealth they dig. The miners toil from dawn till dusk, their arms, normally the petite and delicate Carter race, now bulging with steel-like muscles. The veins on their bronze skin look like water pipes about to burst. Their faces show no smiles, no sorrow, only a deep numbness, a disdainful indifference. Their erect penises droop, stained a yellowish-brown that Originium dust cannot wash away. They are not unaware that continuing to work in such conditions brings them one step closer to Oripathy; they simply know that if they don't work, the distance to starvation is even shorter than that one step.

"This is a legitimate mining farm. Miners receive a fixed monthly supply of Oripathy inhibitors and are paid very well. Converted to Lungmen Dollars, they can earn 8,000 Lungmen Dollars per month, which is roughly equivalent to a mid-level white-collar worker in Lungmen."

Kal'tsit spoke slowly, and Theresa took over, saying earnestly:

"But compared to a life burning brightly, this reward is still too meager."

"Don't just stand there talking without understanding the situation. Lately, there have been a lot of random nobles like you coming here. Do you think the mine is some kind of tourist attraction? If you don't want to die, get lost and go back to your mansions to eat your golden bread." A miner noticed Wayne and his group and angrily shooed them away. Wayne knew who these random nobles were—the members of Babel Tower and SilverAsh and Nosis from the Snow Demon Mercenary Group.

Among the members of the Tower of Babel, apart from Frostnova who was born in the Black Mine, the rest all have extraordinary origins. Theresa and Kal'tsit go without saying, while Kroos and Warfarin are both born into a thousand-year-old blood demon family, the only difference being that Warfarin's bloodline is purer. Mudrock and Surtr, one possessing the gifts of the earth and inheriting the bloodline of the Filthy Soil, could one day become a tribal leader or even a member of the royal court if she so desired. Surtr, on the other hand, has gained the approval of a fragment of a god and wields the artifact Levadin. Their strength is comparable to some established kings and generals. As for Ascalon, a rising star of the Military Council, a member of the Sarkaz royal court, Logos, the Great Banshee, the heir to the Banshee Queen, and a candidate for the royal court—unfortunately, he is male. Even the most ordinary, currently only an outer member who has never even attended a formal gathering of the Tower of Babel, Hinterlea, is of Pegasus blood, a noble descendant of the former rulers of Kazimierz.

They tried their best to be approachable and down-to-earth, but people can change their attitudes, but rarely their habits. Deep-seated beliefs led to ideological differences between them and the miners, and their perceived superior choices often manifested as Versailles-like arrogance. Ultimately, this resulted in a situation where, even with sincere intentions, a deep rift remained, much like the commoner boy and noblewoman in the Wayne education reforms.

He didn't blame the miner for his rudeness, nor did he offer any further explanation. He simply nodded slightly to the miner, and then, under the miner's surprised gaze, spoke loudly:

"Gentlemen, I am your new boss. Everyone here has been hired by me. Your salaries will be doubled this month as a bonus!"

"Huh?" The workers were stunned.

"Huh?" Kal'tsit turned her head in surprise.

"What?" Theresa's prepared speech got stuck in her throat.

One of the workers who reacted first tapped the shoulder of the worker next to him. Seeing him cry out in pain, he excitedly reminded him, "What? We're not dreaming! This is a kind-hearted person, the big boss! Hurry up and say thank you, boss!"

"Thank you, boss!"

Suddenly, the mine was filled with a cacophony of sounds, and the miners' attitudes were completely different from before.

Seeing Theresa's puzzled expression, Wayne held up a finger, shook it, and said:

“Pie-in-the-sky promises won’t work, Theresa. Most of the time, a raise and bonus are far more effective than a hundred ideals and future plans. After all, people are most concerned with basic needs like food and clothing. When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame.”

"Think about it from a different perspective. Since I can't get completely close to them on a spiritual level, wouldn't it be enough to just get them close to us?"

Kal'tsit clapped her hands in admiration: "What a brilliant example of reverse thinking."

P.S.: I've already looked at the information about the meat pigeon collection. I also already knew about the information on those symbolic items from various countries. As for the setting of Victoria being beheaded, I remember explaining it in a previous chapter to make it clear, but I guess some people didn't see it, so I'll repeat it again.

In my current setting, during the reign of Vina's father, Frederick III (the name given by the rogue author), Colombia gained independence. Frederick III defied public opinion and participated in the War of the Four Emperors, defeating and partitioning Gaul. This laid the foundation for Victoria's global dominance (1053-108?). However, the power of the domestic nobility grew stronger, and the Lateran Church took advantage of the war to launch a large-scale invasion.

Following this, the King of the North launched the Wars of the Roses. After the military nobles, led by the Norfolk family, sided with the King of the North, the Londinium Orthodox faction was destroyed, and the noble regent, the Grand Duke of Lancaster, and the Lancaster family were wiped out. The King of the North entered Londinium, massacring the Aslan royal family and Londinium nobles. The Londinium nobles suffered heavy losses, and Vina fled. Internal conflicts among the nobles intensified. At the same time, the trauma of the civil war accelerated the spread of the Lateran Church. During this period, 70-80% of the nobles in Victoria adhered to the Lateran religion (as documented in the Victorian operator files, including Bagpipe's, demonstrating Lateran's enormous influence and political intervention in Victoria). The King of the North reigned from approximately 108? to the end of 1090.