They all call me an Outer God.

Chapter 259 Deception
"And if you do a good job, I'll consider giving you a raise. My profits are our profits; all black market dealers are greedy, isn't this just a giant piggy bank? If I die one day, all my money will be yours..."

Ria spread her hands and kept explaining a bright and wonderful future to James. James was gradually moved by her words and decided to agree to Ria's previous request.

The young man nodded in satisfaction. He guessed that James would be too lazy to manage the place and would instead use the wages he offered to find people willing to work for lower wages to come and work here.

In any case, there are quite a few people in this world who are willing to work for money, even if it means working overtime and working without rest.

Even in big cities, there are bound to be poor people, and Lia can't control that, so he can only let things take their course for the time being.

A few hours later, after Ria had finished explaining everything, the students came over to play. He pointed to the fat, bird-beaked doctor behind him and told them to get along well before turning and leaving.

Next, the youths' destination was North Edlin.

North Adeline is a coastal city with a thriving fisheries industry, making it an ideal place for trade.

Just thinking about seafood reminded Ria of the fish-men he had encountered in Grani, who were covered in a foul stench and were slimy. These creatures were so disgusting and unsettling that he sincerely hoped he would never encounter them again.

"I've heard that the Sea of ​​Godiva is very beautiful, and that you can sometimes hear mermaids sitting on the rocks singing at night... Are you sure they are mermaids and not fish-men? Do they have human bodies and fish tails or fish heads and human bodies?"

"Or a fish head and a human head!?"

The young man went to the station to wait for the train to North Adeline, while James was left at the detective agency to collect money.

Little Swarth was still asleep, but he was in a daze. He would wake up when called, but would quickly fall asleep again.

When Ria was seated in the carriage of the train to North Edlin, it groggily opened one eye on Ria's face, then crawled out and lay down on the empty seat next to it to continue sleeping.

Ria ordered some food, but even when the plate was placed in front of little Swarth, it didn't react. It was then that Ria realized the problem was far more serious than she had imagined.

He knew there was nothing to worry about with Little Swarth, but he couldn't help but worry about its safety. This feeling was probably similar to a pet cat that usually eats and drinks heartily suddenly becoming listless and refusing to eat anything.

Or like a child who has always loved to play and run around, suddenly standing in front of their parents one day and saying that they are depressed.

"Ugh——"

The train started moving, emitting a long hum. Through the window, Ria saw the buildings of South Adeline receding into the distance, and many familiar buildings quickly disappeared from view.

The train will cross the Mandela Bridge over the Gothawell Canal before reaching its destination.

It is worth mentioning that the Gothawell Canal connects to Lake Ega, and Ria has always believed that there are unspeakable secrets hidden in that body of water, but so far no anomalies have been found.

In a lake right under the noses of the epidemic medical division, even if there are big problems, they will probably be resolved quickly, leaving only small fry for the investigators to boost their performance.

"But why did they choose a location that faces directly towards Lake Ega, and why does the main gate face the suspension bridge over the lake? Am I overthinking this?"

Just as Ria was pondering this, the passenger sitting at the next table suddenly looked over. After scrutinizing Ria several times, the man asked hesitantly, "Are you a disorderly person on your way to the tea party?"

"The same to you?"

"At this time, we are the only ones who are leaving for North Adeline. Usually, very few people will board the train to North Adeline."

The man had blond hair braided and draped over one shoulder. He had green eyes and wore a green robe. On the table sat a topped hat and a bundle. Judging from his appearance, it was impossible to immediately determine his gender. He looked like a man, but his features were too soft and non-aggressive, making one wonder if he was actually a woman.

But when he opened his mouth, Lia could still hear a distinct male voice; clearly, it was indeed a man.

Perhaps this person is a witch meme going to a tea party, and the items in the bundle are probably the legendary witch's costume.

The person isn't wearing them now, probably because they still care about their appearance.

But Riad said that the man looked more like a sorcerer who would live in seclusion in the forest than a witch.

"You may call me Melfas. To be honest, I didn't expect to meet someone like me so soon."

"The same kind? I'm not."

Ria guessed that the other person might have also mistaken her for a witch, and immediately tried to explain, but the other person smiled and said, "Perhaps I guessed wrong, but your appearance is so outstanding that it is very rare among the entire group of disordered people."

Ria knew the other party clearly didn't believe her but was still trying to smooth things over, and she was speechless at the thought processes of these witch meme people.

However, this is also a good opportunity to earn some extra money.

He looked at the other person and took out the extraordinary biological bone powder he had prepared: "Have you heard of a product that, if you apply it to your face, will make your skin smoother and more delicate? It is a gift that many nobles have been longing for but could not obtain."

"No one can resist its temptation, my friend. I finally managed to get my hands on this stuff, and the stock is limited. Originally, one bottle would cost thirty silver coins, but now that we've hit it off, I truly consider you my friend."

"So, I won't charge you thirty or twenty silver coins, my friend—for just three silver coins, you can get two bottles of this stuff. You can try it out on the spot and see how effective it is. If it doesn't work, you can just kill me right now."

"What is this?" Melfas raised an eyebrow, then watched as Ria tossed the bottle from her arms to him.

"You must be a newly acquired witch meme, not yet skilled or open enough... Skin is something that ages easily, but the potion in the bottle will keep you young forever."

As they talked, Melfas's expression gradually changed. He handed over the money to Ria, saying, "You're not a black marketeer, are you? You won't cheat me, will you?"

"No, I swear to the rising sun in the name of the most sincere believer."

"That's not necessary."

As he spoke, Melfas opened the bottle and saw a pile of white, gelatinous substance inside.

Hesitantly dipped his finger into the substance and smeared it on the back of his hand. After a moment, he noticed that the back of his hand had indeed become whiter and incredibly smooth.

Immediately, Melfas grabbed his hand with great joy: "Do you have any more of these? I'll take them all."

“But I intend to bring these things to the tea party to share.”

Lia immediately looked troubled.

(End of this chapter)