My family runs an adventurer's guild.

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The capital of the Kingdom of Riyestege, Riyestege City

A carriage loaded with luggage, weaving through the bustling crowd, slowly made its way toward the congested city gates of the capital.

Because the city gates were only half open, and guards were checking the identities of those entering and collecting entry taxes from each person, the flow of people and vehicles outside the gates quickly grew longer and longer. In addition, people were frequently refused entry due to suspicious identities, or people clashed with guards and the tax rate because they were unhappy with the repeatedly increased entry taxes, which made the process of entering the city extremely slow, which could only be described as crawling along.

"...What's going on? Why can't we enter the city yet? How much longer do I have to wait in this wretched place?"

A noblewoman with long, wavy, golden hair leaned out of the carriage window and called out to the old butler who was negotiating with the guards.

She impatiently tossed her long, curly hair aside and glared at the crowd and guards at the city gate.

Although the blonde young lady's tone was rude, the guards and those entering the city who were yelled at by her couldn't bring themselves to get angry.

Because her appearance was so beautiful that even the word "pretty" was not enough to describe it, and every move she made was quite elegant. Even when she shouted angrily, she was still full of noble temperament. It was clear that she was not a girl from an ordinary commoner family.

Most men are quite forgiving of beautiful young women.

"...I'm sorry, Miss, there are just too many people ahead of us in line. Even inside the city gates, the traffic is congested..."

The old butler, who was negotiating with the guards, turned around and replied in a helpless tone, remaining unmoved even when glared at by the blonde girl.

Seeing that throwing a tantrum was pointless, the blonde heiress angrily closed the car window and sat back inside.

Meanwhile, the passersby who hadn't had enough of the sights looked on with regret, secretly comparing the beauty of the blonde noblewoman from out of town to that of Princess Lana, the "Golden Princess" with the same hair color...

In an era devoid of movies, television, magazines, newspapers, and comics, where even oil paintings are private collections of the wealthy, it is no easy feat for ordinary poor people to admire the elegant beauties of high society. To catch a glimpse of them by chance is considered quite lucky.

(Otherwise, the bored, poor scholar in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" wouldn't have thought of spying on the wealthy women who went to the temple to offer incense.)

However, although they were quite amazed by the blonde young lady's beauty, no one present felt anything unusual, because in recent days, there had been far too many noble families from other places flocking to the royal capital, Ristiger, to seek refuge, so it was not surprising at all.

In medieval society, the army was the foundation for maintaining rule; once the army was gone, no one, from the king to the nobles, could expect to live in peace.

Of course, there have been countries in history that, despite losing their entire army, managed to survive, but that depends on luck.

Therefore, after confirming the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Sand Sculpture Hills and the collapse of the 200,000-strong army, the noble lords of the Kingdom of Riyestege who still had some backbone sensed the impending turmoil and sent their wives and children to the relatively safe capital for refuge, while they themselves stayed behind to guard their territories.

As for the spineless nobles, they abandoned their territories and fled to the capital or abroad with their families, gold, silver and valuables.

However, even the royal capital, Yesteje, was not a peaceful haven. In terms of security, it was actually worse than many rural areas. As the capital city, under the rule of the monarch, the royal capital should have a cleaner security environment than other cities, but the reality was quite the opposite.

Due to the decline of the royal family and the infighting among the nobles, the lower classes of the royal capital, Riyestege, are largely controlled by a massive criminal organization called "Eight Fingers," which claims to be "rulers of half the kingdom." This enormous criminal group takes advantage of the power struggles among those in power to enrich themselves, while also colluding with many high-ranking officials and nobles. They not only have various forms of protection but also possess formidable military power.

Chapter 187, The Secret Meeting of the Eight Fingers

Compared to the wealthy and powerful "Eight Fingers," the city garrison of the royal capital, Yestige, appears both poor and weak.

These guards were hastily recruited from the common people, lacking discipline, martial arts skills, and a stable salary. Their combat ability was even inferior to that of the lowest-ranking adventurers, and many of them were spies and informants from the underworld. The soldiers were not even equipped with armor and were completely incapable of maintaining public order.

The palace guards were at least slightly better; they were commoners recommended by nobles, and although their origins were also humble, they at least received training. However, their average skill level was still far inferior to that of the Imperial Knights and the troops trained by Captain Gazef…

Faced with the [Eight Fingers], who possess powerful henchmen equivalent to a steel-class adventurer, these forces maintaining order are simply not up to the task.

Therefore, the security situation in the capital has always been a major concern. Especially recently, with the influx of refugees into the city, the security situation has worsened further. Almost every day, unidentified corpses and severed limbs are found in remote corners of Riyestege. The number of women who have disappeared without a trace is countless.

As for drug trafficking, petty theft, and gang fights, the public has become numb to them.

Even daughters of upper-class families can be brazenly abducted in the city and end up in underground brothels and secret auction houses.

In short, when this blonde noblewoman, riding in a carriage, openly appeared outside the city gate, she was already being watched by several sneaky fellows, causing the guards at the city gate to sigh slightly—this naive blonde lady seemed to have already been noticed by the gang's spies.

It won't be long before she appears in some high-class brothel in the city, or in the basement of a rich and powerful man.

But the guards didn't seem inclined to warn the other party—why risk offending the deadly gang "Eight Fingers" for the sake of a complete stranger?

A moment later, the blonde young lady's carriage finally entered the capital city, mingling with the slowly moving traffic and crowds.

As an ancient city with a long history, the capital's houses are mostly old and simple, with very few novel and magnificent buildings.

Some might see it as a city steeped in history and possessing a calm and composed spirit, while others might perceive it as a stagnant and dull place.

The main streets of the capital were paved with stone slabs, but most of the streets and alleys outside the main street were narrow dirt roads that would immediately become muddy after rain.

Especially now, in this state of war, the streets are filled with dying refugees, most shops are closed, and the whole city is silent and lifeless.

However, there were also some wiry-looking, piercing-eyed individuals wandering through the desolate streets, seemingly searching for targets to prey on.

"...Lord Sebastian, the gangs in this city are indeed greedy and rampant. It seems we're being watched now!"

Inside the carriage, the once arrogant blonde young lady reported to the butler, who was theoretically supposed to serve her, in a rather respectful tone, "...There are at least three spies following us, but we cannot yet confirm whether they belong to the [Eight Fingers] organization mentioned in the intelligence."

—Her true identity is one of the battle maids of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, modeled after the slime Solusan.

This time, I was ordered to disguise myself as master and servant with the dragonman steward Sebastian and lead a group to infiltrate the royal capital, Riyestege, to carry out special operations.

"...It's alright. Let's find these little rats first, and then follow the clues to find the headquarters of [Eight Fingers]."

Butler Sebas waved his hand dismissively, "...I trust that Mare, Aura, and Eldorma have plenty of ways to deal with them, right?"

The dark elf siblings and the insect maid sitting opposite each other in the carriage smiled and nodded upon hearing this.

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【Eight Fingers】, or simply 【Eight Fingers】, is the head of almost all illegal and criminal organizations within the Kingdom of Riyestege.

Its name comes from the god of thieves, a subordinate deity of the earth god—because the god of thieves only has eight fingers, hence the name.

The Eight Departments consist of eight departments, each responsible for slave trading, assassination, smuggling, theft, drug trafficking, security, usury, and gambling.

Their security detail is known as the "Six Arms." As the henchmen of the kingdom's largest criminal organization, they are a veritable sea of ​​powerful individuals, boasting numerous steel-level warriors. Their armed forces are comparable to the Adventurers' Guild, but with a higher level of organization, making them capable of easily overthrowing almost any noble territory in the country.

Furthermore, the Eight Fingers have close ties with many nobles, and whenever the kingdom's official authorities attempt to take action against them, the intelligence is quickly leaked. Thus, dramas of "criminals besieging the city guard" and "gang leaders eliminating obstructive officials" will soon unfold.

(It has a strong sense of déjà vu about Mexican drug lords in the 21st century.)

As time went on, the erosion and infiltration of the Eight Fingers into the political arena of the Kingdom of Ri. Estize continued to deepen...

Today, the leader of the Eight Fingers can proudly claim that he is the underground king who manages half the kingdom!

For a criminal organization, such success is certainly cause for celebration. However, the problem is that when the decaying tree of the Kingdom of Riyestege is about to collapse, the Eight Fingers, like vines clinging to that tree, will inevitably face the severe test of time…

—In a corner of the royal capital city of Yesteje, there stands an ordinary multi-story building.

From the outside, the building is nothing special; it is just like any other building, old, dull, and monotonous.

But in fact, inside this building lies the headquarters of the kingdom's darkest side—the Eight Fingers.

In a room resembling an ordinary conference room, the nine leaders of the "Eight Fingers" were sitting around a round table.

Among them were beautiful young women, men in their prime, and elderly people weathered by life's storms.

However, although they were sitting at the same table, they were all engrossed in their own tasks.

Someone is looking at the documents in their hands.

Someone is talking to their subordinates who are waiting behind them.

Someone pressed a finger near their temple, clearly using [Message] magic to contact someone far away.

Others were fiddling with some magical items that looked very precious, having a great time.

Even though they were sitting at the same table, these people didn't even glance at the others; they were all doing their own thing.

Although it's not yet at the brink of war, one can clearly see their wariness towards the enemy.

Such an eerie atmosphere and scene seemed completely normal to the subordinates standing around waiting for orders—in fact, if you were to say it was normal, it really was.

Although these individuals are nominally and openly subordinate to the "Eight Fingers" and have a cooperative relationship with each other, they often clash over interests and only occasionally cooperate.

Taking the drug trafficking department as an example, it manages and operates everything from production to distribution. Other departments responsible for smuggling and other related matters have no obligation to provide assistance. In general, even if the various departments of the "Eight-Finger System" do not openly oppose each other, sabotaging each other behind the scenes is commonplace.

After all, these crime bosses originally operated their own factions, and even though they've now come together, they still haven't built genuine trust.

The reason these managers of the Eight Fingers department, who are at odds with each other, attend the Eight Fingers department leaders' meeting held in the capital on a fixed date is because the consequences of not attending the meeting are very serious—simply put, those who do not attend the meeting will be considered as potentially treacherous and will become targets for purge.

Therefore, even those who usually live in other places will come to the capital specifically to attend the meeting.

"...Now that everyone is here, let's begin the routine meeting."

With a word from one of the men, everyone sat back down, making a "squeak" sound from the chairs.

The man who spoke was the host of the meeting and the highest-ranking member of the "Eight Fingers." This man, in his fifties, wore a sacred water deity around his neck, had a kind face, and didn't look like the ruthless character who frequented the underworld.

However, in reality, he was the Grand Marshal of the criminal underworld in the Kingdom of Riyestege, a powerful figure whose influence in the underground world rivaled that of dukes and marquises.

"...Today, we're going to discuss the impact of the Kingdom's defeat at Sand Sculpture Hills on our organization..."

The Supreme Councilor of the Eight Fingers said, "...Although we despise those corrupt nobles and incompetent bureaucrats, we must admit that without the kingdom ruled by these scoundrels, the organization's business would be greatly affected, for example... Hilma!"

"...Yes, I'm here!"

A heavily made-up woman, puffing on a pipe and exhaling smoke, answered lazily.

Her skin was a sickly white, and she was wearing white clothes. However, the skin from the back of her hands to her shoulder was tattooed with snake patterns that snaked upwards. In addition, she had purple eyeshadow and purple lipstick. She did not look like an innocent young girl at all.

Her name is Hilma, a former famous socialite and high-class prostitute, who is now the head of the [Eight Fingers] drug division.

"...I heard your drug cultivation base was attacked? And the drug trafficking caravan was also robbed?" the chairman of [Eight Fingers] asked her.

"...Yes! It's really bad. The drug farm was burned to the ground, and the caravan that set off earlier has also disappeared without a trace."

Hilma exhaled a smoke ring and said with a melancholy expression, "...The losses are extremely heavy!"

"...How could this be? Didn't your drug farm have a secret agreement with the local lord, Earl Sachs? Didn't he protect you? Also, do you have any information about the mastermind behind these actions?" the Speaker pressed.

"...Where is there any mastermind? Everything is out in the open! The problem is, even if we know, it's useless! As for that Earl Sachs, he couldn't even protect his own castle and family, so how could he possibly have the resources to protect my drug farm?"

Hilma rolled her eyes in disgust. "...The matter itself is quite simple. A mob, unwilling to starve, led by a few dozen fleeing soldiers, first stormed into Count Sachs's castle, committing massacre and burning. Even the Countess, who couldn't escape in time, was stabbed to death with spears. Then, these poor bastards, somehow hearing that my estate was very wealthy, started flooding in in a chaotic mess..."

Although my men fought hard and killed over a hundred people, the attacking mob numbered in the thousands. In the end, the drug farm fell and was set on fire by the mob. Now, there is probably nothing left.

What, Speaker, do you want to suppress the rebels for the kingdom and organize a volunteer army to punish those rioters?

As for what happened to that vanished caravan, I still have few clues. It's possible they encountered the Sorcerer King's demon army, or perhaps they were ambushed by a rebellious mob, or maybe they were robbed by one of the kingdom's armies—in these days, even displaying a noble's crest isn't very effective; it would only lead to officers killing them to cover their tracks after the robbery…”

"...Yes, business is really tough these days! Those lawless soldiers are even more ferocious than monsters!"

Kekedaoer, who was in charge of the slave trade, echoed with a sigh. He was a slender man who looked weak and powerless, but in reality, he was known for his ferocity and cruelty. Just walking through the private prison of the Eight Fingers was enough to terrify the captured slaves.

However, even such a ruthless person, who seems to be a smiling tiger, is at a loss when faced with the current chaotic world of war and strife.

Compared to the bloodshed of armies, the petty squabbles of gangsters seem rather insignificant.

"...In the past month, six of the teams I sent to buy and capture slaves have disappeared! No matter which noble we tried to get in touch with, it was no use! The thugs have gone so far as to kill even nobles without hesitation, and some of the kingdom's armies have started to raid and rob noble caravans."

Kokodor continued, "...plus some ambitious noble lords who want to take advantage of the chaos to expand their territory and seize their neighbors' castles and lands, now the whole country is at war. Domestic trade routes have also almost collapsed, both legal and illegal!"

"...I am aware of this unfavorable situation, but with the continuous influx of nobles and wealthy people from other regions into the capital, haven't you also taken the opportunity to acquire quite a few high-quality goods? And you basically didn't spend any money! You can't just report the bad news and not the good news!" The chairman of [Eight Fingers] retorted.

"...That's right, we recently got our hands on a batch of good stuff in the capital, all from elegant and wealthy young ladies, but...they're not selling!"

Kekedaoer shrugged, “...Except for a few of the most outstanding and exceptional girls, the rest of the girls can’t find buyers.”

Chapter 188, Even Gangsters Love Peace

"...If she's a noble lady with impeccable taste, how could she not sell well on the black market? She's always been one of the most sought-after items!"

Upon hearing the slave trader Kekedao's pitiful plight, someone immediately stood up and retorted, "...Whether it's those lecherous rich nobles or the brothels throughout the capital, they are all potential buyers! If all else fails, we can even ask these young ladies' relatives for ransom."

"...In the Battle of Sand Sculpture Hills, the kingdom lost too many nobles, often along with their heirs. Now, the various noble families in the capital are either fiercely fighting for the right of succession, or the new patriarch has just defeated his rivals and taken the throne, not yet having secured his position. Under these circumstances, they are too busy scheming against each other for power and profit to have any time for indulgence and pleasure."

Kokodor immediately retorted, "...As for those brothels...it's true that many noble lords and their sons and nephews who have taken refuge from other places are indulging in a life of debauchery and drowning their sorrows in alcohol, so business has been generally good lately. But at the same time, many wealthy noble ladies are left destitute on the streets, without food or clothing, and have no choice but to sell themselves in brothels for a few pieces of bread...On one hand, you have to pay to bid, and on the other hand, you get free food. Which do you think the brothel madams in the capital will choose? I can't force all the brothels to buy my goods, can I?"

And then there's the ransom collection… Do you know how many noble families have been wiped out recently? Those hostages who could be ransomed have already been traded away; the remaining girls are simply those for whom no one is willing to pay their ransoms. Of course, if the organization is willing to provide military backing and allow me to use the name "Eight Fingers" to force brothels in the capital to buy all the girls I've stockpiled at exorbitant prices, then I'll be very happy…"

Everyone present chuckled awkwardly at this terrible idea, pretending not to hear it—although [Eight Fingers] didn't have a department specifically in charge of brothel business, in reality, most brothels in the capital had shares held by various departments within [Eight Fingers], otherwise they wouldn't be able to survive. If [Eight Fingers] forced brothels to buy the female slaves squeezed out of Kekedaoer at exorbitant prices, it would be tantamount to asking everyone else to hand over money to Kekedaoer… Clearly, the criminal bosses present weren't that generous.

"...So, the grain smuggling business in the capital must be doing quite well lately, right?"

The speaker of the [Eight Fingers] hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject, asking, "...The prices of flour and wheat have skyrocketed, and a piece of salted meat can sell for a gold coin. Even black bread mixed with sawdust and sand has to be exchanged for silver coins..."

"...Speaker, although grain prices are soaring these days, we really haven't been able to make much money from grain."

An elderly man with white hair, who was in charge of smuggling, immediately stood up and complained, “...large-scale transactions like grain have always been monopolized by the royal family and a few nobles. The organization has never done such low-profit business.”

Now that grain prices have risen, although we also want to get involved in this business, no one in the capital is giving us any trouble for the time being. However, our organization doesn't have much influence in the countryside, and we can't find a source of goods, a buyer, or any reserves.

After finally managing to procure a small amount of food through a lucky break, and after much hardship transporting it back, we had to feed the organization's members in the city first—we couldn't let our own people in the "Eight Fingers" starve to death, could we? Selling the remaining grain in the market would be a good way to earn a few coins!

Compared to this small profit, the smuggling caravans that were robbed by the mutinous troops and mobs suffered much greater losses!

Following closely behind, several other department managers from [Eight Fingers] stood up one after another to complain. Some had their strongholds breached, some had their goods stolen, some had major clients die suddenly and they had nowhere to collect payments, and some had goods stuck in their hands that they couldn't sell...

Some people even faced numerous dangers on their way to the capital for the meeting, nearly being robbed and killed by bandits and soldiers several times. Therefore, they requested the Speaker to suspend the regular meetings of the [Eight Fingers] organization for a period of time, which made the Speaker's face very ugly.

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