Alfred looked over, and Caine returned a smile, gently nodding. "I suddenly feel a bit dangerous," he said. Then, with calm composure, he turned and walked toward the carriage that Higgs had indicated. "Danger..." Alfred murmured the word aloud, scanning the surroundings with alertness, but found nothing out of the ordinary. He slowed his pace, remaining ever watchful, and returned with careful caution to the nearby three-story building. Pagni glanced at the serious Alfred and asked with slight curiosity, "Is something wrong?" He had been some distance from the arms transaction site and had not caught the details of their conversation. At the window, Alfred looked down upon the horse team now finished with their cargo and preparing to depart, and said thoughtfully, "Dawn Thantos has suddenly left, claiming he has a strong sense of impending danger." "Danger?" Pagni didn't slacken his vigilance; he kept scanning left, right, forward, and backward, but it wasn't until the people from Mesanyes had moved away and vanished into the darkness that he noticed anything amiss. He then chuckled: "Ha ha, Alfred, you're overly sensitive. In my opinion, it's simply Doane Tholos who's timid—unwilling to stay here any longer!" Alfred turned his gaze back, slightly furrowed: "Perhaps." When Enzo had distributed the assets, he produced the adventurer's mouth organ and blew a soft note against his lips. At that moment, Renette Tini科尔, holding four golden heads with red eyes, stepped out of the void as if she had always been there. Her eight eyes turned simultaneously toward the pile of gold coins and bars that had been allocated. After a few seconds, the four heads she carried spoke one after another: "Very good..." "From now on..." "Task..." "Premium..." ...Where is the logic here? I've promptly and swiftly settled my compensation—why should the task now carry an additional premium? Caine paused, sat up straight, and asked: "What?" Renee Tini科尔 nodded seriously with four golden-haired, hazel-eyed heads: "The mission..." "The pricing..." "depends on..." "you..." "your ability..." "to earn..." "profit..." Klein opened his mouth, yet could not object—after all, such decisions were entirely at the discretion of the helpers, and as he advanced to Level 4, becoming a half-god, the tasks requiring the messenger's assistance would likely grow more difficult and more dangerous in the future, making price increases not only reasonable but expected. When Renette Tynecor took the stack of coins and bars and vanished into the room, Caine calmed his thoughts and began silently calculating his current assets: "The expenses have been substantial—17,275 pounds in banknotes and 65 gold coins remain… these bars are worth 25,000 pounds… a total of over forty thousand pounds—quite substantial throughout the kingdom of Run, enough to purchase manors and estates… the military trade is truly profitable." ——Since Renette Tynecor prioritized gold coins, the remaining assets were all bars. Standing up, Caine lifted the bars into the gray mist and walked to the window, gazing toward the north. The current affairs had been preliminarily concluded; he would now return to Beckland. After gazing at the horizon for a while, Caine sighed silently: "Beckland…" ………… North Region, Beckland Technical University. Audrey is walking through the campus with several staff members from the "Rune Charity Scholarship Fund." She wears a simple light green dress, fastened at the waist with a plain white leather belt; her golden hair is gathered under a delicate, slightly playful lace hat adorned with a ribbon. With few accessories—only a silver bracelet on her left wrist—she appears no different from an average student from a moderately well-off family. Over the past few days, she has visited the public elementary school at the edge of the eastern district and the technical school in the Beckland Bridge area, and now understands well when to dress formally and when to remain casual, unlike many nobles who treat charitable events as social occasions. With her clear, green eyes gently shifting, Audrey smiles softly and attentively observes the students passing by. This week marks the period when Beckland Technical University issues admission letters and new students are registering. Originally scheduled for late August or early September, the admissions process at Beikeland Technical University has been pushed forward. As a newly established institution, the university conducts its entrance exams later than other universities, and results are also delayed. This means that applicants often take exams at other universities as well, and may even have been accepted elsewhere. Consequently, Beikeland has decided to advance its registration process to verify enrollment numbers and determine how many additional admissions will be needed. For this reason, Audrey and staff from the "Rune Charitable Scholarship Fund" have come here to assist the first group of applicants who have passed the review in completing their enrollment procedures. Upon observing the students, she noticed that their faces radiated confidence, their demeanor carried a clear sense of self-assurance, and every word and gesture exuded an undeniable vitality—suggesting a genuine enthusiasm for the future, as if light itself seemed to shine through them. This stood in stark contrast to Audrey's experiences in several public elementary schools, where students were either crude and noisy, or quiet and gloomy. What united them was a constant sense of uncertainty and hesitation—when faced with someone of higher status, they would often shrink, their eyes dim, lacking the vibrant energy expected of teenagers. "I truly hope those children have access to higher education, and can strive for a bright future like the students here," Audrey thought silently, her gaze sweeping over a pair of young people who appeared to be siblings. The older brother had clearly entered the workforce and was established in his career, wearing a silk hat and a lighter black suit, with a government employee's air, his outward age around thirty. He had borrowed an older camera from somewhere and set it up on a tripod, guiding his sister to move and adjust her posture while searching for the perfect angle. Her sister looked about seventeen or eighteen, with simple black hair flowing loosely over her shoulders and warm brown eyes reflecting a touch of resignation, yet she remained silent, listening attentively to her brother's instructions. Such scenes were commonplace throughout the campus—some composed of parents and children, others of groups of friends. "It's so beautiful," Audrey murmured, turning her gaze away and walking forward. There stood a square, at its heart a retired steam locomotive, its massive and intricate form standing proudly, lending an industrial charm to Bekland Technical University. ........ Whooosh! The locomotive, like a creature of immense size, belched steam and drew out a long, slow procession into the platform, gradually decelerating. A bright, doll-like mixed-race girl, about seven or eight years old, held her mother's hand and waited in a long line, eagerly asking her father—also of mixed Roon and Bayland heritage—about the Dici Gulf. As she moved slowly, she spotted a gentleman with silvering hair and a hat, carrying a gold-handled cane, accompanied by a brown-skinned servant, walking toward the area where the first-class carriages were located. The servant glanced curiously left and right, saying, "Mr. What I've seen lately is quite different from what I expected. I thought the people of Baylant would be struggling terribly, suffering greatly, with constant chaos, filth, poverty, and oppression. But that's not the case at all. They still enjoy the 'Gualdar' drink, smoke East Baylant cigarettes, and even some can afford bicycles. I know—though I have Baylant blood, I was born in Bekland and had never been to the Southern Continent before. Of course, my Duttan is quite good." The well-dressed middle-aged gentleman smiled warmly and waved his cane. "That's because the cities and neighborhoods we've visited are fairly good, while the most unfortunate Baryans live in rural areas, working on plantations. The rest have settled around factories, forming slums—places we've never had the chance to visit." Noticing the girl's gaze, the gentleman with deep blue eyes and his servant turned their heads to look at her, exchanged a gentle smile. Both of them slightly tilted their heads, their corners of the mouth lifting to reveal eight teeth, then nodded and turned back to continue walking. Not long after, the girl and her parents boarded the steam train and found their seats. When the train's whistle sounded again, the girl saw a man with deep brown skin, soft features, and a small, swollen patch on his cheek, bowing his head, his hand resting on his hat, swiftly passing by and heading straight toward the front of the train. The man then knocked on the isolation door, stepped into the driving cab, and said to the conductor: "All the train attendants have now been replaced by our people. The next bridge will be the site of the sacrificial ceremony." The conductor, with a full beard, nodded and replied: "May the gods be pleased with the offerings on this train. May we all attain eternal life in their kingdom." Hoo! The steam train passed one bridge, then another, and after a long journey, arrived smoothly at its destination port. The mixed-race girl, resembling a doll, seemed tired and no longer as lively as before. Under the guidance of her parents, she moved step by step, following the flow of passengers toward the entrance. At the entrance stood several train attendants, helping some passengers unload their luggage from the carriages. As the girl and her parents passed by, each attendant smiled warmly, lifting the corners of their mouths to reveal eight teeth. After the little girl jumped onto the platform, she instinctively turned back to glance at the steam locomotive's cab. There, figures stood outside the door, seemingly discussing something among themselves—among them appeared the train conductor and the man who had previously had a swelling on his side. Within a second, all of them turned to face her, their mouths gradually curving into smiles, revealing eight teeth each. The little girl then looked away, bouncing slightly as she joined her parents and walked off the platform.