Delectable Goose opened the carriage door and glanced briefly outside.
It was easily noticeable that they were now in front of a narrow alley.
People were coming and going around them—not exactly crowded, but certainly not deserted.
At least there was no need to worry about being suddenly bagged over the head and whisked away while chatting...
This somewhat eased Delectable Goose’s mind.
—At least it wasn’t the routine of being silenced immediately after bringing in the goods.
In that case, the contract must still be in effect.
After all, the contract was obtained from the Silver Baron church...and their dealings also fell within the scope of "trade," still under the watchful eye of the Silver Baron.
Until the contract was fulfilled...huh?
A thought struck Delectable Goose as he got out of the carriage and asked:
"Should I bring the wine?"
"No need, I’ll have you back here shortly."
Consul Tait, who shared his hairstyle, chuckled, extending a hand to steady Delectable Goose as he alighted to prevent any accidental falls.
Then, taking advantage of the momentum, Consul Tait wrapped an arm around Delectable Goose’s shoulders, gave them a tap, and whispered, "Keep your voice down, don’t give us away.
"After all, we’re dealing with imitations here...no need to attract attention.
"When you go to deliver the goods, remember to use my name. Also, if anyone asks, insist that it’s genuine wine—got it, friend?"
He raised his eyebrows, turning to look at Delectable Goose.
—Delectable Goose understood that Tait had only told half the story.
And he hadn’t mentioned anything about the "Devil’s Blood."
But in the moment their eyes met, Delectable Goose instantly got the message.
...So, were they currently being watched, or possibly under surveillance?
And it was permissible to tell the other party about the "fake wine," but not the Devil’s Blood.
Did that mean the watcher was Steward Shelley...Consul Tait’s backer in the Royal Capital for his fake wine trade?
This indicated that the Shelley brothers were probably not involved in the royal family’s power struggles.
At least they were not people the third prince could trust.
In the brief exchange with Consul Tait, Delectable Goose rapidly analyzed a wealth of useful information.
He now secretly rejoiced...thank goodness the task had fallen to him.
Apart from himself, it was doubtful that any other player could have performed it flawlessly—not even Defu.
It wasn’t because they weren’t smart enough, but because they were too young, not acute enough.
Delectable Goose calmly pondered within, yet his body followed without hesitation, pretending to be a lackey to Consul Tait.
This was a performance meant for the eyes of the watcher hidden in the shadows.
Tait, seemingly aware of Delectable Goose’s intention,
didn’t rush or get angry, but simply gave him a profound look and led him into a deserted alley.
The carriage had come to a stop right at the entrance of the alley. Its bulk served well to shield them from prying eyes.
Tait pulled Delectable Goose all the way to the end of the alley before they stopped.
Then, Tait undid both his own belt and Delectable Goose’s.
And they exchanged them with each other.
Since all of Delicious Breeze Goose’s clothes were issued by Tait, these two belts being the same style was very reasonable.
At first, Delicious Breeze Goose was slightly startled when his belt was unbuckled.
But the moment he saw Tait passing over his own belt, he understood what Tait meant—
Sure enough, as soon as the belt was in his hands, Delicious Breeze Goose felt it was significantly heavier than his own.
Delicious Breeze Goose gently touched the inside of the belt and felt that familiar metallic texture.
It was the container for demon blood, a metal vial about the size of a lighter.
"The agreed reward, a total of ten portions."
Tait watched as Delicious Breeze Goose buckled the belt back on, speaking in a low voice from a distance over an arm’s length away, "I’ve given you the item, now you have to help me deliver the goods."
Tait answered succinctly, "I’ll drop you off two streets away from Prince Three’s residence. There’s a checkpoint one street before you can get in, and you’ll need to verify your identity."
"How should I respond?"
"Just give your real name. I’ve made a reservation for you. Your current identity is that of a merchant from Frostwater Harbor, wishing to present Prince Three with a generous gift in exchange for free trade rights. And your deeper purpose is wanting to join my caravan... Got that?"
Delicious Breeze Goose responded confidently, "I’ve got it all down."
Tait looked at him carefully, nodded slowly, and patted his shoulder, "Good, then I’m off.
"After this, I won’t be appearing again—no matter what problems you encounter, it has nothing to do with me, understand?"
Delicious Breeze Goose nodded.
He followed Tait back to the carriage and climbed in once more.
After closing the door, he slowly stroked the black chest, squinting his eyes, lost in thought about something.
Afterward, Tait, sticking to the plan, dropped Delicious Breeze Goose off two streets away.
That’s when Delicious Breeze Goose saw the scenery of the Royal Capital for the first time—
The Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Noah is also named Noah.
As a large city with a population of over four million, the St. Charles District, close to the city gate, is merely where Delicious Breeze Goose currently stood.
Over the hundreds of years since the establishment of the Kingdom of Noah, the Royal Capital has been refurbished at least four times. The most recent renovation occurred thirty years ago when the Royal Capital was officially divided into six districts named after the seven Popes of the Silver Baron.
Delicious Breeze Goose noticed that the streets of the Royal Capital were at least twice as wide as those in Roth Fort, paved with marble, and specifically designated lanes for carriages and pedestrians.
Night hadn’t fallen yet, and the ornate street lamps on both sides weren’t lit. At the crossroads where Delicious Breeze Goose stood, there was also an unmanned newspaper stand filled with papers.
Next to the newspaper stand was a donation box.
Emblazoned on the donation box in large letters was "This donation box accepts only silver coins." In the center was the holy emblem of the Silver Baron, and below it, two lines of smaller text: "All proceeds from this donation box will be the allowance for ’Emery Mosen,’ teacher at the ’St. Charles Third Church School,’ for the next month. If you have not d, please return the newspaper to its original place after reading."
At the very bottom, there were even smaller lines of text: "The church school doesn’t charge tuition or fees for food and lodging; all living expenses for the teaching staff and their families are covered by the Silver Baron Church without fixed salaries. If you think their earnings aren’t high, or you appreciate this teacher’s work, please support them!"
Delicious Breeze Goose looked on in astonishment.
The Silver Baron Church had some real ingenuity...
What was this, a tipping system?