When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 890: Chapter 264: Boarding the Ship and the Petty Thief

When Honey Badger headed for the Twenty-Second Ring, she was accompanied by the Papal Guard.

But by the time she left, she had silently transformed into a middle-aged man with a stern face.

He had a pair of white mutton chops and short, curly gray hair. Dressed in a Star Antimony style butler’s uniform, he quietly followed a young girl with black long hair and a petite figure.

Beyard could not appear out of nowhere from the Holy Nation, and so Aiwass needed to enter Star Antimony under an identity “other than Aiwass and Beyard.” Thus, she removed her disguise and revealed her true face.

Aiwass had never imagined… that the first batch of supplies he dispatched after becoming the Pope would be to purchase the most expensive Elven Style white dress for his alter ego.

The two of them proceeded to the First Ring, maintaining silence all the way.

Honey Badger didn’t ask any questions, and Aiwass—or rather, Miss Aleister—just quietly held a crow, sitting in a public transport device that moved back and forth like iron on the ground, watching the surrounding scenery whirling by.

It wasn’t until they entered the port area—the chaotic noise from the Goblins instantly made the stagnant space flow:

“Passport of the Holy Nation, a must for visitors! Only six Gold Coins or eight White Crowns!”

“Elven clothing! Authentic handmade Elven clothing—won’t the young lady take a gift when she leaves? There are also handmade silver jewelry in Elven Style!”

“A collection of the latest newspapers for the past three days! From six countries, a total of thirty-six newspapers! You can know the news from around the world while in the Holy Nation!”

“Serpentfolk delicacies! Handmade date fruits, chilled fruit syrup! Cheap sale of whole leaf black tea!”

Miss Aleister ignored the Goblin vendor who was pushing the Elven clothes and turned her head slightly.

As she turned her head, Honey Badger, standing behind her, had already respectfully bowed and listened attentively for the “young lady’s” commands:

“Go buy a newspaper for me… and get some fruit syrup as well.”

The Honey Badger, disguised as a middle-aged butler, showed no change in expression.

The butler simply suggested subtly, “All these fruit syrups need to have alcohol added, you…”

As a butler, Honey Badger couldn’t directly ask her mistress if she could drink alcohol. So she chose a smarter way to remind her.

After all, alcohol is a product of the Path of Love, and whether it’s the Banquet Master, Eternal Self, or rituals of the Blood Celestial Marshal, they are all related to alcohol.

Greed, excitement, hunger, drunkenness, arousal… Upon entering these “states of strong desires,” pupils would uncontrollably turn blood-red—this also being the main method used by the Hawkeye Organization to differentiate the Sons of the Moon hidden among the crowds.

“—Nagging.”

Miss Aleister just scoffed, lifting her head like a proud little girl: “I want to drink alcohol! Are you buying it for me or not?”

But she didn’t deny that she could get drunk, nor did she stubbornly claim, “I can’t get drunk.”

Now, Honey Badger understood.

What Miss Aleister meant was, even she couldn’t suppress the traits of a Son of the Moon after drinking, but she still intended to drink. The purpose was to turn into the state of a Son of the Moon in a public setting.

“…Yes.”

So Honey Badger directly complied with the order, went to buy the newspapers and fruit syrup.

While Miss Aleister awaited her return, she was suddenly lightly bumped by a kid with gray hair from behind.

“`

She was about to glance at that person when a sudden surge of the crowd cut off her sight.

Feeling the amethyst necklace around her neck disappearing, her lips twitched imperceptibly, but she did not burst into anger immediately.

The necklace was not an Extraordinary Item, it was simply normal jewelry.

Jewelry crafted by master artists could absorb the power of the Path of Beauty from their creators and often became Extraordinary Items. As long as the creation was beautiful enough, it would receive feedback from the Path power, making it hard for a true jewelry master not to become a Transcendent.

Therefore, jewelry can often be judged on the simple basis of “looks good or not” to determine if it is an Extraordinary Item.

It was attractive enough, even the gemstones and metals might be real, but it lacked Extraordinary Abilities—there was only one explanation: the piece itself was a counterfeit.

Some noblewomen who were not Transcendents would buy jewelry as beautiful as Extraordinary Items, though without any properties… similar to what’s called “skin.” Such jewelry being sufficiently beautiful might be even safer… because real Extraordinary Items could easily provoke robberies by wild Transcendents.

These kind of jewels were numerous in the storehouses of the Holy Nation.

Because the Goblins were very fond of dealing with such “high replica” jewelry.

If they were sold at the price of replicas, the Holy Nation wouldn’t intervene; but if someone tried to sell them as genuine—meaning as Extraordinary Items—the market supervision would send people to confiscate them.

Ironically, those who got caught were usually not the Goblins, but the humans who bulk purchased from them.

When Aleister left, the Honey Badger was carrying a small suitcase for her filled with the highest quality counterfeit jewelry—even though they were fakes, they were genuine jewels. They could fetch a frightfully high price, and this was the capital Aleister used for her activities in Star Antimony.

The reason Aleister let the thief succeed was because, as the Son of the Moon, she had sharply sensed a particular light but distinctive pungent smell on him.

—It was the scent of formaldehyde, the most commonly contacted preservative by the Necromancers of Star Antimony.

The scent wasn’t even faded, suggesting he hadn’t been in the Holy Nation for long; and as he headed towards the port with the suitcase, it implied he was about to board a ship; and currently, there was only one ferry in a waiting state…

That meant, they would soon meet on the ferry.

A good entry point.

Aleister’s lips curled slightly upward, and at this moment the Honey Badger had silently approached behind her.

“Newspapers are quite expensive,” the Honey Badger spoke, handing over a newspaper that came with a black leather briefcase to Aleister, “Forty Star Antimony Coins—this price could buy four hundred newspapers in Star Antimony. In Iris Flower, it would be no less than eight hundred… making goods in the Holy Nation is truly a huge profit.”

“Keep this item, bring the fruit dew.”

Aleister’s voice was crisp.

“…Now?”

“Of course.”

Aleister said, exchanging the briefcase for the fruit dew—that was a popular drink among Lizardfolk and Serpentfolk, a mimic of Alchemic Fruit Juice in the fruitless desert regions.

Essentially, it was a concocted fruit-flavored champagne made from essence, seasonings, alcohol, and sparkling water, served with ice cubes.

In modern terms, it was “purely artificial, not containing any natural ingredients”… yet in this era, such a drink involving Alchemy products was much more expensive than purely natural juices.

After taking a big sip which reminded Aleister of modern carbonated drinks, the joy was evident on Aleister’s face.

“Let’s go.”

Aleister said lightly.

“`

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