Chapter 94: Chapter 90: Hope (Vote for monthly pass!)
Byrne looked at the people surrounding the manor outside the gate and always felt that it must not be anything bad—after all, the relationship between the Fischer family and the Nasir townsfolk was extremely cordial.
“Let’s go take a look and find out.”
However, when a few of them arrived at the door, they discovered that the townsfolk were not there to protest or rebel; instead, everyone had brought gifts, eagerly vying to present them to the Fischer family.
Zayne laughed and said, “I really didn’t expect that your reputation here would be so high.”
Before departing in the carriage, Zayne looked down at Byrne who was sending them off and said indifferently,
“Take my advice, compared to winning over the hearts of mortals, the true power you wield is fundamental, and the existence of ordinary people will become increasingly meaningless to your family.”
“I understand!”
Byrne immediately nodded, grateful for Zayne’s advice.
Initially, when the Fischer family was very weak, the connections with ordinary people indeed played a significant role; it was true that they needed to change their mindset going forward.
After all, the vast majority of the world’s resources were in the hands of Extraordinary Exponents.
Three months later, the first factory the Fischer family had decided to establish officially began construction.
The various families and individuals surrounding the Fischer family had almost all invested in the factory, securing their interests more firmly together.
The construction of the pharmaceutical factory attracted a lot of labor. Some were from Nasir Town, while others were from the surrounding villages.
The Fischer family had high expectations for the first factory they established in Nasir Town and planned to build a second one, a food processing plant.
Both factories were expected to bring extremely high profits to the Fischer family.
In the span of three years, including the Collectible-class rare artifact once obtained from Emil, the Fischer family had consecutively sacrificed five Collectible-class mysterious artifacts to the Lord of the Lost.
However, Karl discovered that their effects were getting worse and worse.
It seemed that to break through higher seals, he needed not just more quantity of Spirituality but also higher quality.
In other words, to truly break through the third Seal, he still needed better-quality offerings.
So he issued a divine oracle to inform Irene that the Fischer family no longer needed to sacrifice Collectible-class rare artifacts.
Unfortunately, whether it was the slightly stronger Treasure-class rare artifacts or the Class 4 Extraordinary Materials, none could be bought on the black market or from the Alchemy Council.
Having money alone was not enough; many coveted resources could not be purchased with money, as various families and secretive organizations treasured and hid them.
For instance, you couldn’t buy Forbidden-class rare artifacts with money, even a four-digit numbered Forbidden rare artifact would still cause a frenzy among families on the East Coast.
Finally, an envoy from the Cyart Royal Family arrived.
The Fischer family treated them carefully, and afterward, they learned of the territory allocated to them by the Cyart Royal Family.
“Ourde Village.”
It was close, right on the edge of Nasir Town. You wouldn’t have to go far west to find Ourde Village, which had a population of about a thousand people.
Irene remained silent for a while before saying,
“Ourde is an area that the Kesse family has controlled for decades, surrounded by a forest that yields mysterious creatures, yielding several Class 2 and even Class 3 Extraordinary Materials each year.”
“They won’t sit idly by as we take Ourde from them. It’s one of the Kesse family’s most crucial lands.”
——
Building an entire factory was a large-scale construction project, and Byrne specifically invited experienced individuals from Fein City to guide them to ensure nothing went wrong during the construction process.
In the nearly completed factory, a group of workers was taking a lunch break. Although they were tired, they remained cheerful and energetically chatted among themselves.
They were willing to work for the Fischer family because the Fischer family never defaulted on wages and even provided a hearty lunch.
The lunch consisted of bread, cabbage, potatoes, cheese, a small amount of beer, and various kinds of fish, and occasionally, salt pork was added.
People on the East Coast had long grown tired of fish, but salt pork had great appeal, as the Cyart people’s reserves of meat were relatively low.
A worker, while eating his bread, said in conversation,
“I saw Miss Vanessa in East City the other day, she’s really kind, smiling as she distributed food to the elderly without caring that her boots were getting dirty in the mud.”
Another worker beside him shook his head and said, “It’s a pity about her leg…”
The worker biting his bread said, “Even with a limp, she’s still beautiful. Such an elegant person—if my future wife could also be that elegant, that would be wonderful.”
Everyone burst into laughter, thinking his idea was far-fetched.
“Hahaha, don’t dream on!”
“Go pee on the ground and take a look at your own face to see how much mud is on it!”
Madam Vanessa, the prospective housekeeper of the Fischer family, was a big shot in Nasir Town, and these poor souls were simply not on the same level as her.
Even Madam Vanessa’s attendants were not people they could easily pursue.
Suddenly an old worker said, “I’ve seen Miss Vanessa beating someone in secret.”
What?
Everyone was stunned, surprised that the always graceful and gentle lady would hit someone?
The old worker paused and then said, “But she was hitting a hooligan who was harassing the elderly, thinking he was tough because he had joined the Dagger Brotherhood.”
The Dagger Brotherhood!
Everyone felt an inexplicable dread at the name, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
The group controlled the order in East City, and their leader, Moore, along with the peace officer, even had a good relationship with the Fischer family. The matters that the patrol team would not handle, they would handle, and any acts of violence would be intervened in by the Brotherhood.
“That thug was crazy, actually trying to attack Miss Vanessa, but all attacks were dodged, her hands behind her back, Miss Vanessa moved like a nimble butterfly, I really can’t imagine her as a disabled person.”
Everyone was completely incredulous, thinking that the old worker must be exaggerating. How could a young lady so delicate and with a disability do such a thing?
The worker biting on the bread had urgency in his eyes and immediately asked with concern,
“What about that thug later, did he take people to retaliate? Miss Vanessa won’t be in trouble, will she? I know those thugs don’t care about the identity and status of the other party when they go mad!”
The old worker sneered continuously and mockingly said,
“What are you thinking? He didn’t dare mention the incident after he went back, but the word got out, and then… Moore publicly cut off one of his fingers!”
Everyone’s face showed shock, then it seemed to make sense, as after all, Madam Vanessa was from the Fischer family, and even the Dagger Brotherhood couldn’t afford to offend them.
Furthermore, the Dagger Brotherhood had strict rules, being even harsher on their own people than outsiders, and the rules set by that thin and short Moore evoked respect from everyone.
Even when his own brother broke the rules, Moore chopped off one of his fingers.
“The rules that have been set are things that must be obeyed; the rules are our foundation for existence.” Moore publicly shared this view with everyone.
Even once when a young knight from the Verne family wanted to kill a kid who dirtied his clothes, Moore stopped him with his men.
“According to the rules, he just needs to compensate you with money, or at most get a beating from you, please show mercy and don’t kill him.”
“Your ordinary people’s rules, they also apply to me?”
At that moment, Moore even made the knight burst into laughter before suddenly slapping out two of his teeth.
Moore still firmly withstood the pressure, not handing over the child but rather drew flintlocks with his subordinates and aimed at the knight, causing Verne’s expression to turn gloomy as he left.
The old worker continued on, with a gaze full of reverence for the Fischer family,
“Nasir Town is the Fischer family’s property; anyone who dares to provoke the Fischer family is looking for their own death!”
As he said this, he slowly stood up, shook his head and said, “I’m off to shake the weasel, relax a bit, drank too much just now.”
“Hahaha, you old thing, off to the restroom again?”
“Completely useless now, eh!”
The workers all laughed at him, and the old worker chuckled, not minding the teasing, turned around, and moved out of everyone’s sight to a corner.
In his heart, he held great respect for Madam Vanessa and the Fischer family.
The old worker used to be a fisherman from Nasir, and since a decade ago, he had been living only with his young granddaughter.
During a winter fishing trip, by accident, the old man was pulled into the water by a fish and then got a high fever. He barely survived but was left with a chronic cough and a progressively weaker body.
Seeing that he was about to lose the ability to live completely, he was in agony. Without his fishing, his granddaughter had no chance of survival!
That was when Madam Irene appeared, and effortlessly relieved him of his constant suffering.
That gentleness and strength were undoubtedly a miracle, something the old man would never forget!
Over the years, he also received food relief from Madam Vanessa, and just a few days ago, Madam Vanessa had introduced him to factory work.
Now everything was moving in a good direction. He had work in the factory, no longer needed to risk going out to sea, and his granddaughter was growing up, even having two reliable suitors vying for her affection.
Life finally had hope.
He was sincerely grateful for the changes the Fischer family had brought to Nasir.
Having finally finished peeing, the old worker took out a piece of bread wrapped in paper from his pocket, which he had not had the heart to eat and planned to take back for his granddaughter.
His granddaughter’s birthday was coming up, and the old worker decided to use the wages he had saved up over this period to buy something girls liked, but he was still unsure what to buy.
A new dress?
Or a pair of pretty shoes?
“Maybe I should find a chance to ask Madam Vanessa, surely she knows the best answer.”
Just then, a tall man dressed in black passed by the old worker,
His eyes were like serpent’s pupils, chilling the old worker to the bone, causing goosebumps all over and his fingers to tremble involuntarily.
He watched the figure growing distant, couldn’t help but stare and ponder.
Who was that guy?
Just at that moment, a hand suddenly grasped the old worker’s neck from behind.
—
Fischer Household.
Having just seen Margaret off, Byrne returned to the family’s hall, when the limping Vanessa quickly approached him, looking very anxious.
“What’s wrong?”
Byrne frowned slightly, sensing something must have happened.
“Master, there’s been an incident at the factory,”
Vanessa paused, biting her lip, and then managed to compose herself before saying,
“We found… dismembered corpses.”