Chapter 473, Received the Letter
The primary reason for such an outcome was that 'Kashu' underestimated his opponent.
He simply thought his opponent was a low-level, ordinary Deputy Steward.
He believed that as long as he found the right opportunity, he could easily crush his opponent.
But the truth proved that someone capable of killing the island lord 'Occam' could never be so simple.
Even if the level was low, they possessed other strengths.
The whole incident was not hard to deduce.
This Deputy Steward had discovered Kashu tracking him and looking for an opportunity, so he arranged this trip to sea in advance.
Even if the battle had taken place on the island, they wouldn't have lost so miserably.
"Boxers really do turn their brains into muscles."
The woman cursed again.
Sitting on the reef, she continued to rest, her face darkening.
Kashu died, and it was his own fault.
But after returning, how was she supposed to explain this?
In two battles, she survived and escaped, yet all the Level 18 Professionals she worked with died on the island.
Even though she knew what happened.
It would be hard to convince others to believe it.
Now it was all about how to explain and avoiding another time where she might step onto Gold-Silver Island.
Thinking of this, she glanced in the direction of Gold-Silver Island.
"This island must be cursed for Level 18s!"
Everyone who went died, and she had almost died there too.
She sat on the reef and rested for a while.
In the distance, the outline of a merchant ship slowly appeared.
Her eyes lit up, and she exhaled softly. A shark made of gray mist formed in front of her.
It carried her swiftly toward the merchant ship.
...
Rentam City.
In the luxuriously decorated bedroom of the city lord.
The sleeping Wen Mansa woke from her dreams, gathered her fiery red hair, and sat up by the bed.
Just as she sat up, she noticed an envelope placed on the pillow beside her.
Her eyes narrowed, and she scanned the room cautiously.
After confirming there were no enemies or dangers, she frowned and reached out for the letter.
Looking it over, she confirmed it was an ordinary letter.
Wen Mansa frowned and thought; she didn't recall anyone placing an unopened letter by her bedside.
If someone delivered the letter here, it meant they had the ability to kill her at the time.
After a moment of hesitation, she chose to open the envelope and take out the letter.
The unfolded letter revealed bright red handwriting that was somewhat glaring.
「Dear Sister-in-law,
I'm delighted to receive a letter from my most adorable and beautiful maid. It's been months since we've met, and I miss you deeply.
The world outside is vast and colorful, yet it still doesn't bring me the warmth and joy I felt when you were by my side.
Thinking back to how we met feels like a dream, with us intruding into each other's lives.
Even now, I still remember the scene of the little wildcat pouting and asking for a spanking, and our entanglement in the alley.
We seemed a bit crazy back then.
Everything is fine on my end, and I am constantly improving myself, so don't worry.
I've heard that the political situation in the Ekow Kingdom is tense. Since you're nearby, please prepare for any danger or potential conflicts. If it becomes risky, abandon the city and seek the Guild's protection. I'll come for you when the time comes; your safety is the priority.
Use the tax revenue according to the development plan; don't worry about saving it for me. You can allocate it as you see fit.
I'll return to visit you in a while.
There's all kinds of seafood and beautiful, exquisite accessories here. I'll bring some back for you.
——Your loving master.」
As she read, Wen Mansa's lips curved into a smile.
There was no signature, nor any specific salutation, but the contents made it clear who the letter was from.
It seemed the method of delivering the letter was being used for the first time, so the sender didn't include a name or title, uncertain if it would succeed.
"You're so annoying. You didn't call me 'Sister-in-law' back then."
When she saw the line about the wildcat pouting and asking for a spanking, Wen Mansa felt her face flush, her body heating up.
Memories surfaced of wearing an obviously too-small cat lingerie outfit, crouching and meowing on the ground.
Teasing him until she was tossed onto the bed for a passionate entanglement.
"At that time, Master loved this outfit the most."
As for the intimate moments in the alley...
Back then, they were like lovers in heat, experimenting in alleys and tavern booths.
"You're really something. Now I miss you even more," Wen Mansa whispered, feeling her whole body heat up.
As she prepared to read the letter a second time.
The handwriting on the letter gradually disappeared.
Wen Mansa's eyes widened. She fiddled with the letter for a while but couldn't figure out why the text had vanished.
Helplessly, she put it away in the bedside drawer.
Reaching out, she pulled a nearby cord, and the sound of a brass bell echoed outside the door.
Knock, knock, knock~!
"Madam, do you have any instructions?"
"Come in and help me wash up," Wen Mansa instructed.
The door opened, and a figure entered, dressed in a black robe, with brown hair tied in a bun, a stern face, and black-framed glasses.
She quickly walked to the bed, helping Wen Mansa up and toward the washroom.
"What's for breakfast?" Wen Mansa asked with a smile.
"Milk, bread, beef rolls. Would Madam like to add anything?" the housekeeper responded softly.
"Breakfast doesn't matter. Just keep it simple."
"Understood." The housekeeper nodded and glanced at Wen Mansa. "Madam, you seem to be in a good mood today."
Wen Mansa paused, stroking her slightly swollen belly. "Yes, I am. Give the household servants half a day off in the afternoon so they can visit their families."
"On behalf of everyone, thank you, Madam. You're so kind."
After a quick wash, Wen Mansa headed to the dining room. "Is your husband still gathering intelligence on the city lord's mansion?"
The housekeeper's face turned serious. "He is. I've replied to him as you instructed."
"Good. Let's handle it this way for now; there's no rush."
"Understood, Madam."
...
Blackstone Town, Steward's Residence.
Madam Slater was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.
Turning her head, she saw her niece sitting at the bedside, reading something.
"Reading this early? Wu Heng is already a Deputy Steward, but you're still just a squad leader. Aren't you worried at all?" Madam Slater sat up, lightly scolding her.
Yuli didn't retort this time. She continued reading the letter and then turned to look at her aunt.
Madam Slater touched her face. "What's the matter? What are you looking at?"
Yuli asked suspiciously, "Auntie, do you... have a man?"
Madam Slater's heart skipped a beat. "What nonsense are you talking about? Did you have a dream?"
"Here, this letter was written to you. It's so mushy, and it says they'll visit you soon." Yuli handed over the letter.
Madam Slater's eyes widened, her face showing panic.
She grabbed the letter and read it.
It was completely blank.
Madam Slater's eyes narrowed. "Where's the content? The mushy words?"
Yuli took the letter back, wide-eyed. "I... I'm not lying. Auntie, the words disappeared! Believe me!"
"You're itching for trouble, aren't you? Making jokes about this?"
Yuli jumped off the bed and ran, shouting, "There really was something! Auntie, there really was! The envelope is still on the bedside table!"
Madam Slater didn't listen. She picked up a wooden stick and stored the envelope and letter.
Then, she chased after her.
At the dining table, Yuli rubbed her sore backside. "Auntie, I'm already a squad leader. Why do you still spank me? I wasn't lying about the letter!"
Madam Slater struck her again with the stick. "We slept together last night. Who could have delivered a letter to the bedroom overnight? You've been reading too many comics and started hallucinating. You're not allowed to read them anymore."
"What does this have to do with comics?"
Madam Slater glared at her. "Are you thinking about someone and imagining a love letter?"
Yuli pouted. "No way. I want to be the Pirate King. Who would I think about?"
"No more comics. If I catch you again, I'll spank you harder."
Yuli stopped arguing and quietly ate breakfast.
Her mind was busy trying to figure out what went wrong.
How could the letter she saw lose its words?
...
Gold-Silver Island, Guild.
Wu Heng descended the stone steps, heading to the morgue.
It was still early morning, and the two coroners were just starting their preparations for the day.
"Deputy Steward," the two greeted him.
"Hmm. There's a corpse here. Verify the identity and collect the internal organs. I'll pick them up later."
As he spoke, he retrieved the corpse and the organ jars.
The bald Boxer's body was in a pitiful state.
Imiro's sword slash from the chest upward had split the upper body in two, leaving the organs spilling out.
The final handling of the corpse depended on the Guild's arrangements.
After all, it was Imiro who killed the man. Whether Wu Heng would get it was still uncertain.
As for the organs of a Level 18 Professional, Wu Heng thought they might be useful. Since he had organ jars, he decided to store them for now.
The coroners placed the body on an iron table.
One of them asked casually, "Deputy Steward, should we keep the body for you?"
"Preserve it. This was the Steward's kill. The final decision will be made later," Wu Heng replied.
"Understood."
The coroners began processing the body, while Wu Heng left and returned upstairs.
He headed back to his study.
Andviel and Minnie were sitting inside, chatting.
Since the situation last night was still unclear, he had them stay in the Guild's dormitory. Now they were here.
Seeing Wu Heng return, both women smiled warmly.
They approached from either side to check if he was hurt.
"I'm fine. Not a scratch," Wu Heng said with a smile.
Andviel hugged his waist. "Master, is everything resolved?"
"Yes, the Steward dealt with the target."
"If the Steward stepped in, then the opponent must have been strong," Andviel remarked.
Wu Heng paused. "You're right."
Minnie poured him a cup of tea and asked, "Master, when are we going home?"
"Tonight. We'll have a good meal outside before heading back," Wu Heng replied, sitting behind his desk.
"Let's go to that place in the Lighthouse District. Their alchemy dishes are delicious," Minnie suggested.
"Alright."
The three chatted briefly.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a clang, as if someone had kicked it.
Philipa stormed in, holding a wanted poster.
She pointed to the woman's portrait on the poster.
"This... She... She tried to kill me yesterday! And there was a bald guy trying to kill you!"