Chapter 439: Similar People

The straight-line distance from Doncheng to Lagos City is only 361 kilometers.

For an airship, this is not a particularly long journey.

Soon, the airship arrived at its destination and landed smoothly at Lagos City's airship base.

Compared to Doncheng, Lagos City's landscape appeared vastly backward.

Not only were the buildings and streets dilapidated, but the number of airships flying overhead was barely a fifth of Doncheng's, and most were outdated models.

Gao De stepped off the airship, one hand carrying his luggage, the other holding Anna.

There were inspections upon boarding, but none upon disembarking.

He followed the corridor out of the airship base.

Gao De wanted to ask Anna about her family details, but she couldn't give any specifics—whether intentionally hiding or genuinely unable to recall.

He considered handing Anna over to the airship staff so they could return her.

But every time he entertained the thought, Anna looked at him with pitiful eyes, tears welling up as if about to fall.

Though there was some performative element, the feelings of injustice and sadness were undeniably real.

The key was that only these two emotions existed—no resentment or anger emerged.

This made it hard for Gao De to harden his heart.

"What's your sister's name? What's she good at?" At the airship base entrance, Gao De hesitated, then finally asked.

Anna blinked slightly, then quickly understood the implication of his question and smiled brightly, her large eyes narrowing into crescents.

"My sister's name is Amy. She can do everything!" Anna declared proudly.

"That's the same as saying nothing."

"Anna only knows this."

Gao De was even more exasperated, but he was always a decisive man—once he decided something, he wouldn't change his mind easily.

Besides, the child's complete trust did warm him slightly.

"But I'm here on a mission, so I must complete it before I can help you find your sister. Until then, you must stay put and not wander off. Can you do that?"

"Of course, brother, your business comes first. I'll be very good," Anna said, putting on an extremely "well-behaved" expression.

If she were truly well-behaved, she wouldn't have sneaked out alone.

He grumbled inwardly but still forced a gentle smile.

Anna was very talkative, and since she realized "acting" on Gao De was useless, she quickly revealed her "naughty child" nature.

To be fair, a child bold enough to stow away on an airship must have had some "naughty" in her blood—definitely a fearless little brat.

Amid Anna's chattering, like a bird chirping trivial details, Gao De gradually learned some facts about her.

The girl, like him, was not a native of the Jin Quehua Dynasty; she came from another country.

She had once been born into a wealthy family, but for reasons unknown, her family fell into ruin and both parents died; her sister brought her fleeing to Jin Quehua Dynasty to seek refuge with a close friend of her father's.

However, they still owed a large debt, and creditors could come knocking at any moment, so after settling, Anna's sister immediately went to Lagos City to find work.

According to Anna, her sister could do anything and was skilled at everything, so she could take up any trade in Lagos City.

Anna, on the other hand, was only skilled at drawing and playing with toys.

Yes, the girl called rune-drawing "drawing" and alchemical machines "toys."

But a family that could access so many alchemical machines might not be merely "wealthy"?

Of course, it didn't matter—no matter how deep her family's former roots, they were now ruined.

A Sea Sentinel apprentice mage receives 3 silver dragons per day for accommodation, plus 1 silver dragon for meals and 1 silver dragon for urban transportation.

Anything beyond this standard must be paid out of pocket.

Under normal circumstances, this allowance is sufficient.

After all, even in Doncheng, the most expensive city, 3 silver dragons could secure a decent hotel room.

In Lagos City, where the economy had collapsed, 3 silver dragons could even book a night in a downtown hotel.

But only the lowest-tier single room.

Walking along Lagos City's streets, the pedestrians were far fewer than in Doncheng, and their clothing was clearly a step lower in quality.

The damp sea breeze carried foul odors, proving Lagos City's sanitation was far from adequate.

The setting sun sliced diagonally through the city's central landmark—the clock tower—while beggars huddled among crumbling pillars.

Barefoot children with dark skin ran through the streets.

Gao De walked toward the city square, passing countless inns whose doors bore iron signs reading "Vacant" and "Today's Special."

During the Spirit Essence boom, Lagos City's inns briefly prospered; now they had sunk into even greater desolation.

Gao De counted them all the way until he stopped before the eighth inn with a "Vacant" iron sign.

The faded brass sign displayed the inn's name:

The Palm Tree Inn.

Ferns sprouted from cracks in the porch pillars; inside the entrance, the landlady was applying palm oil to her curls for maintenance, while an old handwritten parchment lay on the desk.

The parchment recorded wanted criminals' information and simple sketches drawn by Lagos City authorities.

Though the sketches were crude, they clearly captured each criminal's distinguishing features, with detailed annotations beside them: name, origin, crime, and bounty amount.

The final page also listed major news—imperial decrees, major war updates.

But the focus remained on the wanted criminals, helping innkeepers and guests identify suspicious individuals and report them promptly.

The room rate list was hung high above the counter, written in black ink on a wooden board, prices clearly visible.

Gao De glanced and said, "Give me a street-facing single room for three nights. I need a receipt."

This world had no equivalent of the "receipts" from his past life, but most Zhenggui inns provided handwritten ones.

Receipts were usually printed on the inn's special stationery, bearing the inn's mark, with check-in date, room number, itemized charges, and signed and stamped by staff.

Hearing Gao De's request, the landlady emitted a muffled, pigeon-like coo from her throat, yet her purple-red-tipped fingers swiftly pulled a blank receipt form from the drawer and scribbled it out.

While waiting for the landlady to finish the receipt, Gao De idly flipped through the handwritten parchment on the desk.

"The Duchy of Orvoga and the Duchy of Xidian have gone to war; the Duchy of Xidian has been destroyed." His gaze settled on a brief report near the end.

The Duchy of Orvoga and the Duchy of Xidian had long harbored grievances over territorial disputes and resource allocation; this conflict had finally erupted.

Orvoga assembled elite troops, used cunning tactics to circle behind Xidian, and ambushed its supply lines, causing Xidian's army to suffer shortages and morale collapse.

In the decisive battle on the plains, Orvoga's alchemical weapons unleashed devastating power, shattering Xidian's defenses entirely.

Eventually, Orvoga's forces breached Xidian's capital, declaring its destruction; the royal family was executed en masse.

Gao De noticed this report because both duchies, like the Duchy of Xien, lay nestled between the Jin Quehua Dynasty and the Holy Empire, among the cluster of small duchies.

Orvoga even shared a small border with the Duchy of Xien.

But that was all.

Now, he was a true citizen of the Jin Quehua Dynasty—a Sea Sentinel mage.

"Street-facing single room, hot water available all day, free breakfast, 3 silver dragons per night, three nights total—9 silver dragons," the landlady said as she wrote.

Gao De set down the parchment, pulled out a gleaming Jin Quehua coin, and pushed it forward.

The landlady deftly swept the coin into her drawer with her fingers, returned one silver dragon to Gao De, and handed him the completed receipt.

"Officer, your receipt."

—Except for official personnel needing reimbursement, few ever asked for receipts.

But she couldn't help glancing twice at Anna in Gao De's left arm, puzzled.

This officer looked far too young to have a child this age—why bring a child on a mission?

How odd.

In the chaotic shanties, dim light struggled through cracks in rotten wooden planks, casting distorted shadows of several men.

They sat around a table, each with a cup of barley beer, faces bored, occasionally sipping.

Tap-tap-tap.

Rapid footsteps approached from afar.

The men instantly set down their cups and turned alertly toward the door.

The shanty door swung open, letting in a gust of foul-smelling wind.

"Word came down—the Lagos City water beast expulsion task has been assigned by the Sea Sentinels. The order was issued yesterday; personnel should arrive in the next two days. Everyone, take a break for now," the newcomer shouted.

"Close the door," a man already covering his nose called out.

"Still acting up after all this time?" the newcomer grumbled, but swiftly shut the door.

"Again? The higher-ups want to force these peasants out but dare not use force, so they make us do these petty tricks—release insects and octopuses to disgust them," one man muttered, his face full of disgust.

"Force? Who dares? If there's mass casualties, the Sea Sentinels won't just send a mage to drive off water beasts—they'll launch a full investigation. Massacring civilians is a grave crime!" another man replied, waving his hand as if emphasizing the gravity.

"So we're stuck here day after day. Damn it, I'm starting to smell like pickled meat. This place stinks—how do these peasants even live here?" another man complained.

"If they had any choice, they wouldn't stay here."

"Just endure it. When this job's done, the pay won't be small."

"Sigh. Even if we don't want to endure, what can we do? When the Sea Sentinels arrive, at least we get a few days off."

"A few days off, then back here again. The stink's bad enough, but if one of those insects bites you, you're in for real pain," one man said, his gaze unconsciously drifting to a massive barrel in the shanty.

Inside the barrel, swarms of larvae wriggled freely.

The larvae were grotesque—long, slender bodies about the thickness of an adult finger, entirely a nauseating dark green, coated in a slimy, foul-smelling mucus.

Their heads were tiny, with nearly invisible black eyes; their tails were broad and flat, undulating in the water, stirring murky ripples in the sewage, radiating a stench like rotting corpses.

"Release this batch tonight, then we pull out."

Finally, the apparent leader in the room made the final decision.

Using a key to open the slightly weathered wooden door, a musty odor rushed over him.

Gao De carried Anna into the room, set down their luggage simply, then placed the girl down and took her small hand as they left the Palm Tree Inn.

After traveling so long, it was well past mealtime.

Anna, of course, was even more likely to be hungry—children get hungry more easily.

It was time to sample the local specialty food.

It wasn't hard to find—any small restaurant would do.

Anna tore off a piece of fish with her fingers, put it in her mouth, and chewed hard, letting out soft hissing sounds—clearly unaccustomed to the food before her.

Before them lay a strange fish, entirely coated in red spices and roasted.

It was a giant catfish from the region, wrapped in Lagos's heat-resistant banana leaves, sprinkled with a special dipping sauce, then roasted over fire—Banana Leaf Roasted Giant Catfish.

Beside it were five or six smoked fish rings, linked head to tail like squid rings.

Watching Anna's serious little face, Gao De couldn't help laughing: "If you don't like it, don't force yourself—just order something else."

"Sister said we're not like before—we can't be picky eaters anymore," Anna sighed, shaking her head like a worried little adult.

Gao De chuckled as he lowered his head and swallowed a bite of fish—the texture was indeed strange, but his upbringing taught him to value food; unless it was truly inedible, he never wasted it.

He ate two more of the squid-ring smoked fish—the texture was much better than the roasted catfish.

"Next time I'll take you somewhere better—I'm not familiar with this place."

"Thank you, brother," Anna nodded seriously, her small head bobbing. Though she'd tasted nearly every delicacy when her parents were alive and had no great hopes left for food, she still felt happy at Gao De's casual promise, thinking him truly kind.

After finishing this local specialty meal, Gao De brought Anna back to the inn.

It was already late, and he wasn't a workaholic—he'd rest well tonight and set out tomorrow to carry out his mission.

But before resting, his daily cultivation and rune practice could not be skipped.

This was basic training.

Gao De made no effort to avoid Anna—he cast 【Divine Guidance Shu +】, then took out lacquered jade paper and a rune brush, and began practicing with full concentration.

Anna sat quietly on the bed, watching every move Gao De made.

Much later, when Gao De returned from his focus on the rune, he looked up and saw Anna still watching him, just as she had at the start.

For a child, this seemed almost incredible.

"Brother, are you done?"

"Done," Gao De put down his rune brush.

"Brother, are you a rune apparatus master?" Anna asked again.

"Sort of—I haven't made a full set of rune apparatus yet," Gao De realized with surprise, looking at Anna in astonishment: "How do you know that?"

"I've seen my teacher practice this," Anna pointed to the lacquered jade paper where Gao De had just drawn the rune. "He said he'd teach me too, once I become a full mage."

Saying this, Anna scratched her head cutely, speaking in a child's voice: "I've already learned everything my teacher could teach me. The rest can only be taught after I become a full mage, so I just play with the big toys."

"But…" the girl tilted her head, gazing at Gao De with innocent confusion: "Brother, your rune range and tier are already at second-rank level—haven't you made a single rune apparatus yet?"

Gao De stared into Anna's wide, puzzled eyes, filled with astonishment.

He had never imagined a five-year-old girl would know so much.

This suggested her previous family environment was far wealthier than he'd guessed.

(End of Chapter)