The black sun hangs high

Chapter 48 Greetings
Compared to the natives of Vaan, Hugh, as a true "outsider," always has some advantages in certain aspects.

He didn't really care about the stuff the Peace Newspaper published in its newspaper.

If this were the world of the past, if he saw a familiar face in a news article or newspaper one day, even if the content itself was absurd and ridiculous, he would definitely laugh it off, and might even keep it on file to use as a weapon and tool to ridicule and mock others in the future.

For someone living in an information-explosive era and working in the internet field, timely desensitization to specific information and news is a key to maintaining a good state of mind and mood.

But now, in this unfamiliar place of Vain, Hughes finds himself unable to do it.

There were very few people he could call his friends. Even if he included old Schubert and Gerard, the shop owner he had only met once, he couldn't possibly have more than ten.

They might not even be able to gather five.

In terms of the awkward aspect of autism, Hugh Ernst had already won, won by a great deal.

It is precisely because I have so few friends that losing any one of them would be incredibly painful.

He knew Putrin all too well. This guy always liked to act on impulse; he would be outraged by all injustice, applaud virtue and good deeds, and would not hesitate to use his fists against enemies, while treating all friends with true affection...

Putrin, who was willing to offend other members of the Tricolor Brotherhood for his own sake, was real; Putrin, who dared to take action against those lowlifes at the tavern door, was real; and Putrin, who stood with the other Delans and spoke passionately in Rowe Square, was also real.

Putrin has made his choice.

Everything around him—his compatriots and companions, the people who once heard him speak and cheered for him, and the Peace Press—will no longer give him a chance to change his choice.

That's what really made Hughes angry.

The intense emotional fluctuations had a slight impact on Hugh's mental world. Under the influence of anger, the Touch of Calron began to writhe, the Running Rat bared its fangs, and the Mirror Messenger, as a new resident, revealed a gloomy and ferocious smile.

However, the matters previously listed in the plan still needed to be completed. This time, Hugh did not take the magic carriage that runs through Seren – the commotion last night had also affected the operation of these magic carriages. Therefore, Hugh directly summoned a carriage and had it take him to Old Schubert's beer hall.

Familiar streets, familiar shops...

There were also familiar faces.

But Hugh knew that this was probably the last time he would come to this beer hall.

The disturbance had a relatively small impact on the beer hall, since the main customers were local farmers and miners from Seren, who were already intertwined by blood and disliked activities that would disrupt their peaceful lives. The only traces left were a few flyers and notes that were forcibly pasted on the tavern's door.

A familiar figure was diligently cleaning them.

The bartender, Sally, looked even more haggard. Her once vibrant young face was now devoid of smiles. Hugh watched as she quickly tore down the flyers, then fetched some water and vigorously wiped away the remaining scraps of paper and glue from the door…

Hughes walked toward the beer hall, and his footsteps naturally drew Sally's attention.

Upon noticing Hugh's tawny hair, the waitress paused slightly. "Sir, I'm sorry, we won't be open until noon today. It's a complete mess."

Sally, as always, doesn't lie very well.

Hughes knew that every time she lied to old Schubert, her right eyebrow would involuntarily lift up.

So he gave a kind and sincere smile, just like the regulars at the beer hall, and said helplessly, "Please, Miss Sally, I just want to sit here for a while. I was really exhausted last night. My shop was smashed and a lot of things were stolen. I was busy until dawn to clean it up."

"what……"

Sally realized she had probably misunderstood the other person because of their hair color, so she quickly put on a smile and said, "In that case, please make yourself at home. I'll be right there in a moment."

Hugh nodded and then stepped into the beer hall. Just like before, he went to the innermost seat and sat down on a chair near the window.

This time, however, he did not bring paper and pen.

Not long after, the young bartender returned to the shop after tidying up the front door. She instinctively glanced at the corner and paused when she found that someone was actually sitting there, as if she had accidentally stepped into a quagmire left over from the past.

However, the fantasy and the emotions it brought quickly faded, and Sally finally realized that the person sitting there was not the unique, quiet, introverted young man she remembered, but an ordinary shop owner in the city of Seren.

She forced a smile and walked over to the familiar table: "What did you say you wanted before? Sour beer?"

Hugh almost blurted out his own habit of asking for extra ice and syrup, but he stopped himself in time, smiling and nodding: "Ah, yes."

In fact, Sally did not hear Hugh's reply. In a somewhat dazed state, she prepared a glass of sour beer with ice and syrup, following her old habits, and then served it to the guest.

Sally didn't want to linger at the table, so after serving the beer, she began slowly sweeping the pub floor. She got distracted again, and didn't realize what was happening until the customer finished his beer, put down his glass, and left the pub.

"Sigh, I really am..."

Sally patted her forehead and sighed. Then she went to the corner to wash the empty cup, but then she noticed a folded letter under the cup.

"what is this?"

Filled with confusion and doubt, she unfolded the letter and began to read it in the sunlight. The letter contained few words, so Sally didn't spend much time reading it. The moment she finished, she threw down her glass and hurried outside the tavern. However, the streets were already bustling with people, and among the passing figures, she couldn't find the customer she had met earlier.

Sally looked around, her expression anxious and tense.

Although the smile still hadn't returned to her face, she was finally no longer as lost and confused as before.

……

Hugh's mood did not improve when he returned to the streets.

Although he had just confirmed that he had successfully delivered the pre-written letter to Sally, whether he could truly guarantee his friend's safety remained an unknown, since his escape was still only in the planning stage.

The comings and goings of pedestrians, their various expressions, their chaotic language, and their unease filled every corner, all of which made the emotions that had been building up in Hugh's heart even more intense.

He knew that there was someone who must have plenty of money, and perhaps, he also knew more "insider information".

So he headed towards the south square.

The Peace Newspaper and its editor-in-chief, Philip, began a new day.

Compared to Philip's excitement, the newspaper clerks were clearly much more downcast. For many of them, life wasn't much different from that of ordinary residents in Seren; the only difference was where they worked during the day and where they spent their evenings...

But Philip was different.

His world is always more "colorful" than that of ordinary people.

He's been incredibly busy these past few days, but not because of his work at the Peace Newspaper. He knows he's about to lose all contact with Seren City and the newspaper, and he's even started planning his future career.

Philip was preparing to go to Deland. He had already contacted some old friends in the capital city of Deland, "Alice," and through their connections, he acquired a nice mansion there. It was said to be located on a hill, and one could even glimpse the famous "Alice Flower Sea" spectacle through the windows. He was very much looking forward to it.

The final tasks have been arranged.

Philip had no intention of staying in Serenity any longer; he planned to leave that very night. As a veteran who had worked at the newspaper for so long, he had a keen sense for such matters. Leaving now was practically a deadline, and his intuition told him that staying any longer would put him in danger!

However, just thinking about the enormous check in his pocket, the leisurely life to come, the numerous interviews to come, and the memoir he hasn't even started writing yet...

Philip felt as if he had returned to his youth.

A restless atmosphere permeated the newspaper office as well, and the clerks who were still there seemed somewhat dejected, with some even just sitting in their seats, lost in thought.

Philip, who had just joined the newspaper, was very dissatisfied with this. Although he was about to leave, he still felt he needed to show his authority as a manager. So he immediately grabbed these lazy, daydreaming guys and gave them a lecture. After that, he took a cup of hot tea from his equally haggard secretary, Miss Kiri, and then carried it into his office.

Because he needed to inventory and organize important items in the office, he didn't intend to let anyone in, so he locked the door. When he turned around, he found that someone was sitting in his seat.

An ordinary-looking young man with dark skin and brown hair sat behind a desk, gazing at himself quietly, as if examining a sculpture.

"Hey……"

Philip paused for a moment, but before he could speak, he heard a strange cry. He instinctively turned his head and saw a large rat that looked very strange lying on the bookshelf next to him. Its eyes, teeth and claws emitted a faint green light, and most strangely, it had three tails!

Surprise and unease quickly fermented into panic in Philip's mind. He hurriedly reached out to open the door, but the strange rat that had been lying on the bookshelf had already jumped over. Its tail, like a rope on a gallows, tightly wrapped around Philip's thick neck, causing him to suffocate and choking all his voices in his throat.

Hugh, in his magical disguise, walked over, snatched Philip's water glass, "gently" placed it on the bookshelf, then grabbed the guy by the collar and violently dragged him to the far end of the office.

While mages may not be as physically strong or skilled in close combat as seasoned warriors, the benefits of magic in improving physical condition are undeniable. Although Philip's body was heavy and bulky, he was unable to mount any effective resistance or struggle against Hugh's violence and the suffocating restraints imposed by the running rats. Soon, the editor-in-chief of the Peace Newspaper was casually tossed into a corner by Hugh.

"Snich, loosen it a little."

Hughes gave a soft command to the scurrying rat.

"Snicky" was the name Hugh gave it on the way here. The reason for this name was mainly because the running rat also had an extremely flexible tail, and it seemed to be suited for dirty work, which matched quite well with a "rat-man assassin master" in a fantasy series in Hugh's memory.

The sprinting rat, now with its new name, looked excited and happy. It obediently loosened its tail a little. At the same time, Hugh dragged over a chair, plopped down on it, and then pulled out the crystal gun, aiming it directly at Philip's fat face, which was red from lack of oxygen.

Philip gasped for breath, staring in terror at the dark muzzle of the gun, too afraid to make any sudden movements or utter a sound.

Seeing his expression, Hugh gave a genuine sneer. He leaned down and gently patted Philip's face with the crystal gun, then said in a hoarse voice, "Editor-in-Chief Philip, Mr. Morel sends his regards."

"..."

Upon hearing the name "Morrel," Philip's face immediately showed panic and confusion. While gripping the rat's tail that was strangling his neck, he said with difficulty, "No...no, I did everything Mr. Morrel asked me to do, without missing a single thing, and there is no...no one else who knows about it. I swear to the gods of Vaan!"

It will be available on Monday, and I'll try my best to update it frequently!
I'll be focusing on revising the manuscript and outline these next few days (and of course, I'll also need to review the new books and materials that have arrived).



(End of this chapter)