Chapter 57: Chapter 057 Swamp Town
“It’s all because of Sherman’s death,”
“Hasn’t the killer been caught?”
Roger was slightly taken aback.
“At first, we were just suspicious, it was a routine investigation, but for some reason, she fled as soon as she saw us.”
“Nearly the entire police force in town was dispatched to chase after her. They passed through several towns along the way but found nothing.”
“In fact, the moment she escaped at the beginning, the pursuit was impossible. But Sheshirman is after all a socialite in town; there’s a lot of pressure from above. Even if it’s just for show, we had to continue the chase.”
It was clear that Adeline was quite infuriated by the futility of it all.
“Forget it, why am I telling you this.”
“How are you feeling?”
Roger snapped out of it, “Much better now, probably just caught a chill.”
“Time flies, the Murloc Festival is here again before you know it.” Adeline’s eyes flickered, as if she remembered something.
“This is your first holiday in Baytown, got any plans?”
“Every year during the Murloc Festival, it’s bustling here.”
Roger hesitated for a moment, then took the opportunity to speak, “I was just planning to discuss it with you; there’s a classmate, Thomas, his uncle has a lakeside holiday home in Swamp Town, and he’s invited me to go with him…”
Adeline frowned, but quickly relaxed, “It’s rare that you’ve made a new friend, it’s good to go out and about. How long do you plan to go for?”
“Two or three days at most.”
“That’s just the right amount of time, you should be back in time to join the town’s festival. Not only the residents of Baytown, but people from neighboring towns as well will come to participate.”
“It’s quite a distance from here to Swamp Town, how do you plan on getting there?”
“Just the two of you driving there? I’m not comfortable with that.”
Adeline’s meticulousness warmed Roger’s heart, but there was no way he could be honest with her.
“Mr. Henrik, remember him?”
“That wildlife conservationist?”
Roger nodded, “Thomas’s father knows him, and he’s also going to Swamp Town. We can ride with him.”
“That puts my mind at ease,” Adeline smiled with relief, “If only Amanda were half as sensible as you.”
Faced with this kind of remark, Roger really didn’t know what to say, mustering all his wits to reply, “Amanda is actually…”
“You don’t have to explain, I understand her, she’s a good kid.”
“It’s just some things from back then…”
Adeline trailed off, and just then, a soft sound, Amanda and Jack pushed open the door and came in.
“Amanda, this is my final ultimatum, two new toys. If you don’t agree, I’m going to expose you and… mmm…”
Jack’s mouth was suddenly covered, he struggled fiercely, but when he looked up, he saw Adeline sitting at the dining table.
Amanda glared at him fiercely.
“What’s going on?” Adeline asked curiously.
Little Jack shifted his eyes, then opened his arms and rushed towards Adeline; at times like these, acting spoiled and cute was the best way to divert attention.
After dinner, back in his room, Roger saw a stack of banknotes added to the table and his heart warmed.
Raising two kids as a woman alone, the home’s financial situation wasn’t particularly good, and now with him…
“I need to find a legitimate way to make money.”
After leveling up in the future, affording a new home would certainly be a significant expense.
No word was spoken that night, and Roger didn’t continue his training but slept well instead.
On the third morning, the sound of a car horn came from downstairs.
Roger dressed himself and gave his backpack one final check before he hurried downstairs, reaching the staircase just in time to see Henrik looking every inch the gentleman as he talked with Adeline.
“Good morning, you seem to be in good shape,” he said with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Not having seen him for a few days, he felt that Roger had changed a lot.
“I’ll be troubling you on our journey.”
“It’s what I should do.”
After some pleasantries, Roger took his breakfast and got into the car.
“Is the Hunters Guild always this shabby, or is it just that your rank only qualifies you for this kind of car?” Roger teased as he stuffed food into his mouth.
“Keep a low profile, we’re going for an investigation, not to pick up girls.”
“What exactly is the case?” Aside from the Sheshirman estate incident from the previous two days, this was technically Roger’s first time participating in a Demon Hunter mission.
Henrik started to explain but suddenly shut his mouth as Roger turned his head to see Amanda approaching with a backpack, looking troubled.
“Hello, is there any room left in the car?”
She glanced at Henrik and finally rested her gaze on Roger’s face.
“I was supposed to go to the seaside with Betty, but she had a last-minute issue and can’t leave, so I’m planning to go to Swamp Town to see her. I heard you’re also heading there…”
Roger looked back at Henrik.
Deal with your own lady.
Roger read the profound meaning in Henrik’s eyes.
“Mr. Henrik, is there still room in the car?”
Roger asked, pretending to be serious.
“No problem, there’s just the right amount of space for four of us.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Henrik!” Amanda said loudly with gratitude.
With others present, Roger and the others naturally couldn’t continue discussing the mission. The car started up, picked up Thomas after circling around, and then drove out of Baytown along the highway.
All four people in the car had their own thoughts. Thomas was obviously tricked by Roger to come along; he didn’t have any relatives in Swamp Town, and the so-called lakeside vacation home was actually a landing spot Roger had rented in advance.
Thomas didn’t talk much along the way, engrossed in an animal picture book, while Amanda made a few calls, seemingly arranging a meeting spot with Betty.
In terms of size, Swamp Town is the largest town under Bordeaux City, even surpassing the city area itself.
Within the jurisdiction of the town, there are numerous swamp areas and lakes; this area was once a Faku colony.
The local population is diverse, with those of Black ethnicity holding the absolute majority. In some remote villages, some tribal customs are even preserved.
Compared to Baytown, the people here are more exclusionary.
Without incident, as they neared Swamp Town, they could see the region’s characteristic lakes and extensive wetlands from afar.
Upon entering the town, Henrik first dropped Amanda off at a tower in the town center, where a Black girl was listlessly flipping through her phone.
Compared to their last encounter, Betty seemed to have changed a lot. Her originally distinct black and white eyes had become even brighter; she appeared to have completely moved on from her previous experiences.
After exchanging a few words of greeting, everyone said their goodbyes.
“It’s so good to see you!” The two girls embraced each other.
“You said you had something important to tell me?” Amanda asked curiously.
“Trust me, it’s the truth you’ve been searching for, and it will completely overturn your worldview!”