"Mmm... that hurts..."
Stelle crouched on the ground, clutching her face and making strange noises.
Just as Sylvia was watching her with an amused grin, suddenly—
--+--
[Target: Stelle]
[Affection: 81 (Concern and Trust)]
[Relationship: Newlyweds]
--+--
"..."
Sylvia's expression turned strange as she watched Stelle's affection meter suddenly tick up a bit.
Oh no.
Could it be that being treated like this by me has given her some kind of weird hobby...
If this kid grows up to be some kind of oddball, Kafka's not going to come after me with a knife, right?
Just as Sylvia's emotions were complicated, Sushang gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Well, this is the result of you running your mouth, isn't it..."
Sylvia then introduced the two of them and Huohuo to each other.
"So, Sushang, what are you doing in Aurum Alley? Patrolling?"
Although Sylvia already knew what Sushang was up to, she figured she'd ask anyway.
"Ah... well, actually it's like this—"
Sushang scratched her head a bit sheepishly and began explaining the situation in Aurum Alley to Sylvia.
Huohuo, standing nearby, listened with great interest.
"So you two are here doing some kind of old neighborhood renovation?"
"Uh... what old renovation? Anyway, that's the deal, and we're definitely going to make those company guys bark like dogs!"
Sushang put her hands on her hips, looking angry.
Although Sylvia supported Sushang.
That being said, she really wanted to be in a dark room with Sushang and hear her bark like a dog.
Thinking about it was kind of... something.
Sylvia shook her head, dumping out those mental scraps.
By now, Stelle had also recovered.
Although her nose was red, at least it hadn't been knocked crooked.
"So, Sylvia, did you come to hang out with me?"
Stelle scratched her head, not knowing why Sylvia was here.
"Want to check out Aurum Alley's famous signature shops while you're at it?"
As she said this, a promotional flyer was stuffed into Sylvia's hand.
And Stelle enthusiastically began introducing Sylvia to the various stores here.
Seeing how serious she was, it felt quite thoughtful.
Huohuo was listening intently nearby. Seeing this, Sylvia reached out and patted Huohuo's head, asking:
"Want to go take a look after the investigation? We're here to rest anyway."
"Mm-hmm!"
"Huh? You guys are doing some kind of investigation?"
Sushang's head suddenly popped into view, looking eager:
"If there's trouble, just leave it to me, a Cloud Knight! Hmph! Any bad guys causing trouble in Aurum Alley, I'll take care of them all without exception!"
"Ah... well, actually, recently there have been rumors about a 'ghost market pawnshop' in Aurum Alley, so I came with the big sister here to investigate."
"Ghost market pawnshop?"
Sushang looked puzzled, turning to glance at Stelle.
But Stelle also looked confused.
"...I've been busy connecting Trick Snacks every day, haven't paid attention to that."
Stelle had been quite busy around the docks, mainly responsible for dock imports and exports, as well as the Trick Snacks situation.
Usually, she'd at most grab a bite in Aurum Alley, thinking daily about how to increase customer traffic, and really hadn't paid attention to the rumors.
Huohuo still remembered the contents of the scroll and said directly:
"Apparently, there's a mysterious pawnshop in Aurum Alley that only accepts special items for pawn, like souls, memories, things like that... Because it felt strange, my big sister and I planned to come investigate."
"...?"
Sushang and Stelle exchanged puzzled glances.
Did they have such a place here?
Sushang raised her hand and said:
"Why not go ask Mingxi? She's the secretary of the merchant association here, maybe she knows something."
Seeing Sushang so enthusiastic, Sylvia couldn't well refuse, so she nodded and said:
"Then I'll trouble you, Sushang. Huohuo and I will go check out the scene first, waiting for your good news."
Sylvia finished speaking to Huohuo and was about to leave when Sushang suddenly grabbed her wrist.
This girl, though small and cute, had quite a grip, no wonder she could wield that Xuanyuan sword around.
"Hey hey—wait wait wait, I'm a Cloud Knight! Let me accompany you. If anything happens, I'll have your back."
"But what about getting information..."
As Sylvia spoke, her gaze drifted toward Stelle.
"Huh? Me go?"
"Well, if Sylvia and Huohuo are going exploring, they need a local to look after them, right? Aurum Alley is so complicated, what if they get lost."
Sushang said with righteous confidence, while Stelle found it somewhat amusing, one hand on her hip:
"You're not just tagging along because you think it sounds fun, are you?"
"Oh! Look, when it comes to things requiring brains, I'm not much help. Might as well go lend some muscle."
Sushang blushed slightly as she glared at Stelle, causing the other to scratch her head awkwardly.
"Alright, alright. I'll stay at the docks and help ask around for information."
These days, Stelle was getting busier and busier, but the situation in Aurum Alley was visibly improving.
The massive deployment of Trick Snacks for fast food delivery services was also showing results.
Recently, orders from outside Aurum Alley had been increasing.
Stelle would have liked to go have fun, but clearly didn't have the free time.
After all, she still bore the responsibility of making sure Sushang didn't have to bark like a dog.
--+--
And so, the investigation team temporarily gained Sushang as a new member.
"Where should we go next?"
"The information says... that pawnshop is in some corner with few people around. Let's ask around."
Huohuo only knew the characteristics; the exact location, no one knew.
They'd have to search slowly.
Sylvia looked at Sushang and asked:
"Sushang, you've been in Aurum Alley lately. Is there anywhere particularly remote around here?"
Sushang patrolled daily, so of course she knew the remote spots.
But the problem was...
"I know some, but there are tons of places in Aurum Alley that nobody goes to!"
Sushang scratched her head in distress.
Aurum Alley had only recently recovered some of its vitality, and that was mostly concentrated in the central area.
The side alleys along the edges were still very desolate.
Even asking Sushang to point out remote locations.
There were so many places to choose from.
Hearing Sushang's answer, Huohuo looked worriedly at Sylvia:
"Then, for now, let's just wander around Aurum Alley first. Let's go check out the places Sushang recommends."
"Okay, let's go, let's go! I'll lead the way. Let's head this way first. There are fewer people this way."
Sushang led the way, heading toward the road on the other side of the docks.
There were more people on the main bustling thoroughfare, but far fewer pedestrians on the other side.
Whenever they encountered merchants or residents of Aurum Alley along the way, Sushang would take the initiative to ask about the ghost market pawnshop.
But after asking all along the way, you could say they came up empty-handed.
Many had heard the rumors about the ghost market pawnshop, but when it came to actual leads, they were completely clueless.
Along the way, they passed through several eerily desolate spots and saw nothing suspicious.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.