Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Chapter 384: Chapter 384 Is There Such a Design?

Xidelaistra was one of the metropolises developed along the Star and Moon River, and its scenery was no different from other riverside metropolises.

The Star and Moon River flowed into the city and was divided into numerous tributaries, forming an extensive network of waterways. Commodities from all over the world converged here, and Xidelaistra also used the river to sell its specialties around the globe.

During the daytime, the city bustled with traffic; little boats bearing goods navigated beneath bridges constructed of piled stones. Alongside the river lay wide avenues where workers transferred cargoes from boats to the carriages on the roadside, destined for their respective locations.

At night, the city glittered with lights and was alive with entertainment. Merchants, weary from a day’s business, would join travelers or locals at Xidelaistra’s distinctive street food stalls to indulge in the culinary delights.

Wealthy bosses would opt for elegant buildings, overlooking the city’s prosperous beauty from above and partaking in fine wines beyond the reach of ordinary people, as talented songstresses entertained them.

If Yang Yu happened to pass by in a little boat along the waterways, leisurely enjoying the harmonious and bustling scene, he would have exclaimed,

”Who came up with this mishmash design? This East-meets-West aesthetic has such a strong sense of dissonance. How can such scenery reminiscent of the misty south of the Yangtze River appear in a kingdom dominated by the Royal Family and Nobles?”

The affluent merchants, wearing their luxurious noble attires, felt utterly out of place in the beautiful town, lending the atmosphere not a hint of poetry, but rather the sense of having walked onto the wrong film set.

The contrast was too jarring.

However, after his critique, Yang Yu tried to understand the reasons behind this phenomenon.

If this game featured such designs, it surely wasn’t due to a haphazard fusion of elements but likely because the river basin bore some resemblance to the Yangtze River.

It was just that, for various reasons, this place hadn’t coalesced into a unified and complete Empire but instead continued to exist in the form of a Kingdom.

Standing at the bow of a small boat, Iyas would never ponder such pointless questions. She wouldn’t be attracted to the surrounding glitz and glamour either.

To her, others’ merry banter was nothing more than irritating noise; the bustling buildings were merely obstructions blocking her view.

Thanks to the well-developed waterways, the local Lord was rather lax in managing those entering and exiting the city.

Especially for people arriving via the waterways, after a cursory headcount, they were usually let in without much fuss.

Thus, even if Iyas appeared somewhat suspicious with her hood up, she could easily reach Xidelaistra through the waterways to carry out her plan.

Even now, Iyas firmly believed that her brother was kept by the Chaoyang Chamber of Commerce in the Xidelaistra auction house. If only she could infiltrate the place, she would be able to rescue her brother.

After reaching the city, Iyas, following Yang Yu’s example, went to pubs to gather information and looked for informants who could provide critical intel.

Iyas didn’t need much information, just the location of the Chaoyang Chamber of Commerce’s Slave Auction House, the interior layout of the auction house, and the schedules of their staff.

Using her beauty, Iyas simply sat in the pub and was quickly surrounded by countless people inquiring about one thing or another.

Iyas, maintaining a natural expression, steered the conversation towards needing some information about Subhumans.

The reason Iyas used to collect information was that she had a friend who had lost a beloved Subhuman Slave, suspecting it had been captured and sold to an auction house here, which brought her to investigate.

Iyas earnestly hoped that the patrons in the pub would provide information or point her to someone who could.

Even though the rationale was somewhat far-fetched, with her beauty as an asset, many people eagerly offered advice on how to find an informant. Some even volunteered to guide Iyas and sneak in with her.

Iyas politely declined and immediately set off to find the informant.

A few persistent ones, or those enticed by Iyas’s beauty, quietly followed her. She deftly slipped into a deserted alley, leaped onto the rooftops, and vanished in an instant, leaving her pursuers stuck against the wall.

Now she had grown enough to detect malice in others’ eyes and respond accordingly, even without Yang Yu by her side.

She firmly believed she would obtain the information she needed and infiltrate the auction house to rescue Hake.

Under the cover of night, Iyas jogged to find an informant taking refuge on a small boat.

Upon hearing that Iyas needed information about the Chaoyang Chamber of Commerce’s Xidelaistra branch, the informant let out an inadvertent sigh of relief.

Sensing something odd, Iyas pressed the informant on why he sighed. He calmly explained that, given Iyas’s haste, he thought a creditor had caught up to him, but it turned out to be business knocking on his door.

The informant, smiling apologetically, revealed that he just happened to have information on the Chaoyang Chamber of Commerce. His finances were tight lately, so he could sell the information to Iyas at a low price.

Iyas was overjoyed, as her funds were limited. She appreciated the opportunity to save money by purchasing information at a reduced price.

Without money, moving through human society was near impossible, the first lesson Yang Yu had taught her.

Money was needed to gather information and rescue Hake, as well as to return with Hake to the Elf Village.

Without Yang Yu’s financial support, every coin became exceedingly precious.

To address her pressing needs, aside from the Revive Elixir that Yang Yu had given her in the Library, Iyas had sold almost all her valuable possessions, saving the proceeds with care.

Once, someone saw Iyas alone and boldly stole her purse. She chased him across three streets and used her bows and arrows to puncture a hole in the palm of the thief, ensuring he would never be tempted to steal again.

Iyas didn’t have the luxury of time to earn money leisurely, and thus, would never allow anyone to covet her purse.

That purse contained both her and her brother’s lifeline.

After some discussion, Iyas successfully negotiated with the informant. She obtained the eagerly sought-after information for half of the Gold Coins she carried.

Once the seller confirmed that Iyas had checked the information and found no errors, he said, ”I heard that today the Slave Auction House is hosting some high-profile figure and they are holding a party. Today, they might be more lax than usual, making it an ideal time to sneak in,” and then rowed away, disappearing into the dark streets.

Iyas carefully stowed all the information and took advantage of the night to make her way to the Slave Auction House.

This Slave Auction House was much like any other, with villas serving as the facade for slave transactions, auctioning slaves off as gifts.

Now, as the informant had mentioned, a grand gathering was taking place in the villa, with very few on duty, presenting an excellent chance to infiltrate.

Furthermore, according to information from the informant, there was a garden behind the villa and, within it, a passage leading to an underground auction.

As it was night, apart from those assigned to the night shift, hardly anyone was inside the auction house. With the help of a map and avoiding a few key patrol points, she could reach the room where the slaves were confined.