Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Duke of York wanted to enslave all the citizens of Victoria City.

But he wasn’t able to do that due to his agreement with Victoria City.

Victoria City’s leader, what the Duke of York referred to as mayor, was Duchess Lilo. Whether the title was legitimate wouldn’t be discussed. An act of violence against a landlord would create gossip.

There would be various reasons for the declaration of wars and even sanctions against him.

The Duke of York didn’t want to be sanctioned, so he needed a legitimate reason to declare war on Victoria City.

Humiliation was an appropriate cause for war.

“You may all leave. I’ll not let Victoria City off.”

The Duke of York calmed his humiliated Knights and said, “Spread the news of the humiliation to all parts of the Kingdom and send another group of Knights to warn Victoria City. You know what to do next.”

“I understand, Grand Duke!”

The advisor acknowledged the Duke and left.

The Duke of York was sitting behind the table with a sinister smile. He looked towards one corner of the room where a conservatively-dressed female servant was sitting on a stool and washing clothes.

The female servant was shedding tears of humiliation.

…

Arthur wasn’t sure of the mission requirement. As it was a Strange Encounter Mission, there was no mission guidance or indication of reward. Cherry only wanted Arthur to follow him to the Post Office, Teahouse, and other entertainment outlets like kids wonderland, shopping malls, and kindergarten in the small town.

They went to the Post Office to confirm the truth about the unclaimed letter. Like Peasant said, the letter was sent to the Post Office a few days ago. Nobody claimed it, and it appeared out of thin air. It was discovered by Peasant.

Cherry was sure of one thing, the person who left the letter in the Post Office was a resident of Small Distant Town! In addition, this creature hadn’t left the town!

Arthur was surprised by Cherry’s conclusion. He asked instinctively, “Why?”

Arthur regretted asking. Asking an NPC about the Plot was redundant.

Cherry answered Arthur seriously, “It’s a good question. According to my speculation, the letter was in the Post Office for less than five days. The letter didn’t have an addressee or poster, so it must be from a resident of Small Distant Town! The creature didn’t leave due to the active Black Volcano, and it’s not plausible for anyone to travel here. A resident of the town placed the letter five days ago and didn’t have time to pack and leave. I have a gut feeling he didn’t leave! That’s my sixth sense!”

Cherry was speculating initially before diverting to his instincts. Arthur didn’t bother since it could be the NPC’s setting.

After investigating for a day, there were no useful leads. Nobody in Small Distant Town had an idea of the things in the diary, and they weren’t aware of the Winterfell Merchant Band. They tried very hard to recall while answering.

“During the dormant season, there were lots of tourists. It would be hard to notice a group of 2,500 tourists.”

Cherry’s investigation had come to a dead end.

Cherry had a headache when he thought about it. He decided to have some bloody chrysanthemum tea to clear his mind. It was time to knock off. Cherry didn’t want Arthur to work overtime, so he let Arthur leave.

Arthur didn’t obtain any rewards after helping the NPC, and the Plot didn’t have any developments.

Could this be a fake Strange Encounter Mission?

The other gamers had similar thoughts as they gathered outside the Garrison Guard station and chatted.

Most of the gamers were members of the Pioneer Alliance and were interested in the game Plot. They wanted to develop the Plot and discover more Strange Encounter Missions. It would be best if they could obtain equipment as a reward.

The gamers decided to leave when Cherry was about to knock off. However, a few gamers shouted abruptly, “There’s someone in the office! In Cherry’s office!”

The gamers saw a Gnome in the empty office that Cherry and Arthur had just vacated.

Nobody would have noticed the Gnome if a gamer hadn’t put the office under surveillance.

Arthur dashed in and saw the Gnome holding the diary that was burning!

“Shucks! He’s destroying the Strange Encounter prop!”

It wasn’t known who shouted, but the gamers dashed in and pounced on the Gnome. They pounced on the burning diary to be more exact.

The diary was a piece of important evidence. It wasn’t clear why the Gnome was burning the diary, but he knew about its existence. He even knew the whereabouts of the Merchant Band!

The gamers were excited when they thought about the Superior Equipment of the Winterfell escorts. They couldn’t be bothered with the Garrison Guards that were stopping them. They were in a big rush to capture the Gnome.

“Capture him alive!”

“Don’t kill him! Interrogate him!”

“Save the diary!”

The gamers shouted, but in the next second, the skin of the Gnome became red hot. Just when the gamers surrounded him, he exploded.

“BOOM—!”

Cherry was befuddled. When he heard the gamers shouting at the Gnome to stop burning the important diary, he recovered!

“That’s a breakthrough! I’m impressed with myself!”

Cherry was about to dash into his office to grab the diary and examine it. The breakthroughs were in the diary!

However, he was unable to get through the wall of gamers.

The gamers flooded the office like mad creatures. Cherry was at his wit’s end. He even threw out the scalding bloody chrysanthemum tea in a bid to create a path. The scalded gamers were indifferent as they squeezed towards the office.

Then, the sudden explosion and the ensuing heatwave made Cherry fly out.

Cherry knocked into a wall and felt his body coming apart as he climbed up slowly and saw his office in ruins. Because the gamers were in front, shielding him, Cherry was intact.

The gamers suffered serious casualties, and they were all wailing.

“Gosh! That’s another explosion! Equipment! Our equipment!”

“It’s devastating. Fortunately, I’m slow. Otherwise, my equipment would be gone.”

“Look for the diary!”

“What’s there to search? The explosion would have reduced it to ashes!” the surviving gamers shouted.

Ringing sounds filled Cherry’s ears as some colleagues helped him, and he could hear incoherent voices.

“Cherry! Cherry! What happened? Are you alright?”

Cherry was bewildered. He recovered himself and looked at his colleagues and the gamers. He understood—the citizens of Eternal Kingdom saved him!