Chapter 525: Traditional Fishing
Chapter 525: Traditional Fishing
"Whether it's a small country or not depends on how you look at it." Leon began to explain.
"The Crooks Kingdom doesn't directly control that 400,000 square kilometers of land. Most of it is leased from other kingdoms and city-states, so it won't be marked on any maps, and even the Crooks Kingdom itself doesn't acknowledge it."
"The territory officially recognized by the Crooks Kingdom is only these 800-plus blocks. Only those who reside in these blocks are considered citizens of the Crooks Kingdom, so you're not wrong in calling it a small country."
"It's not small at all!" Alger hastily shook his head upon hearing this.
"No matter how you calculate it, a country controlling over 400,000 square kilometers of land can't be considered small... But if they have such a large area under their control, why doesn't the Crooks Kingdom just acknowledge these places?"
This was because it was the most profitable approach.
Hearing Alger's curious question, Leon couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, recalling the tragic fate of the bandit siblings.
Their hometown, Cheshire County, was one of the mining districts controlled by the Crooks Kingdom. Everything there was under the Kingdom's control, and external trade was almost non-existent. Even food and some daily necessities had to be exchanged for Aerial Crystal Ore.
Under these rules, over ten thousand people in Cheshire County spent their entire lives revolving around the mines, providing an endless supply of Aerial Crystal Ore to the Crooks Kingdom with their labor. And there were a full hundred such "mining districts."
Even if not all mining districts required this much labor, and not all were as miserable as Cheshire County, the number of ordinary people directly or indirectly "enslaved" by the Crooks Kingdom was still likely to exceed a million.
By not acknowledging control over these mining districts, the Crooks Kingdom could stay out of the matter, treating these million people as expendable resources. They could exploit the resources they needed without paying almost any price.
"Can they really do this?"
After hearing Leon's explanation and the tragic story of the bandit siblings, Alger's face turned slightly red with anger. "Can no one do anything about this? Are they just letting the Crooks Kingdom get away with it?"
"Who can do anything? The Purification Bureau?" Leon glanced at the robust man with his simple thoughts and said, "The ancestors of the Crooks Royal Family were Watchers in the Watch Palace. The Purification Bureau's responsibility is to protect the Crooks Royal Family and fight against anomalies that threaten the human world, not to govern the Crooks Kingdom.
As for other kingdoms,' by the Crooks Kingdom's technological advancement, which is at least a hundred years ahead of other kingdoms. So, despite its sparse population, the Crooks Kingdom's military strength is not weak at all.
Moreover, the Crooks Kingdom paid for these mining districts and even transferred many technologies to obtain the 'mining rights' from other kingdoms. Who can stop them? The other kingdoms that sold the mines?"
"..."
"Don't even think about it. This is something we can't handle." After obtaining the stolen information and understanding the Crooks Kingdom's 'business model,' Leon had already made up his mind. Still, he maintained a calm demeanor and said, "We're just two ordinary Purifiers. Our primary task is to investigate the situation in Research Zone One, find Atifi 01 controlled by Prince Andre, confirm whether the royal family is truly dead, and if so, figure out a way..."
"What did you say?!!!"
At this point, the man who had been eavesdropping on Leon and his partner's conversation couldn't hold back any longer. He jumped up from his seat, his face filled with shock, and roared, "The royal family is dead?!"
"Senior Alger!" Lyon exclaimed, his tone laced with disappointment as he watched the disheveled man rise from his seat.
"You assured me that you'd notice any extreme reactions from him and stop him in advance. What happened?" Lyon's brows furrowed in frustration.
"I'm sorry, I was too careless..." Alger lowered his head in embarrassment upon hearing Lyon's words.
"I was a bit distracted just now, and my reaction time has slowed down compared to yesterday, so I didn't respond in time... Apologies, I'll be more careful from now on!"
"Alright, it can't be helped..." Lyon sighed, shaking his head helplessly. Then, he instructed Alger, "Let it go this time, but you must be more cautious in the future. I can still use my Concealed Tail to cover for us, but if we enter Research Zone One and he acts up again, we'll be in real danger."
"I... I'm sorry. I won't make the same mistake again!" Alger promised.
"Alright, then you take control of Mr. Bell first, and we..."
"Wait! Hold on!" The disheveled man interrupted as he saw the two "fugitives" preparing to control him again. His expression grew anxious, and he lowered his voice, "You said the entire royal family is dead?"
Hooked.
Lyon's eyebrows lifted slightly as he glanced at the disheveled man's wildly dancing soul. Then, he furrowed his brows and spoke to Alger, "My apologies, I was careless too. Such crucial information shouldn't be discussed in front of him. You control him first..."
"No! Don't control me!" The disheveled man pleaded as he realized Lyon was about to have the burly man control him again.
"I can help you! Please, don't stop me from speaking!"
Lyon hesitated briefly before shaking his head in refusal. "I'm sorry, but this matter is too important. We can't trust you. If you claim to help us but secretly try to alert them, then..."
"I won't!" The disheveled man exclaimed anxiously.
"I'm a classmate of King Fain! I hold the rank of Fourth-Level Scholar, granted by His Majesty himself! If you can prove that you weren't lying about the royal family's demise, I... I can help you infiltrate the research zone!"
Got him!
Lyon couldn't help but smirk slightly upon hearing the disheveled man's words. He had already learned about the man's staunch loyalty to the royal family from the stolen documents. Given his close relationship with the old king, upon hearing the news of the royal family's potential massacre, he would undoubtedly be eager to investigate, which played right into Lyon's hands.
After all, Research Zone One was of utmost importance, and the suspected mastermind, Prince Andre, wouldn't be foolish enough to leave it unprotected.
Lyon's Concealed Tail wasn't an all-powerful tool; even if he could replace a researcher's identity with an anomaly, he would still lack the scholar's knowledge, memories, and understanding of interpersonal relationships and the rules of Research Zone One. He could be exposed at any moment.
Therefore, the only way to successfully infiltrate was to convince this disheveled man to guide them willingly.
And rather than persuading him through lengthy explanations and pleas for help, it was better to first set the hook and wait for him to take the bait, eventually begging to assist them.
(End of Chapter)
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