Inside the post office, Lin Gui had specifically set aside a rest area.
A few long benches lined the wall, with a low table placed in the center. Atop the table sat a pot of low-quality ale and several stoneware cups.
The ale was free, limited to one cup per person.
Lin Gui had tried that ale once; it was sour, harsh on the throat, and had a powerful kick. A single mouthful had almost sent him to the afterlife.
But for these people who chewed on black bread year-round, it was already a rare treat.
After finishing their queue and receiving their letters, the customers would take their cups and sit on the benches, sipping slowly.
Once the alcohol set in, they became talkative.
“In this world, just staying alive is hard.”
A middle-aged man with a face full of stubble gulped down a mouthful of ale and wiped his mouth.
“I’ve worked in the quarry for eight years, and my wages have never once gone up. Meanwhile, the noble lords change one after another.”
A thin old man beside him joined the conversation:
“Having work at all is good enough. My son was hauling sacks for the Transport Guild; last month he broke his leg, and the foreman dismissed him with five silver coins. Five silver coins... it’s not even enough for the medicine.”
“Then you still have it better than some.”
A young woman holding a child lowered her voice significantly.
“The girl from the tailor shop on West Street was taken by a knight from the north of the city. She was kidnapped that very night. Her mother went to demand her back, and it’s been a week now; we haven’t seen a sign of her since.”
Lin Gui sat behind the counter, listening while he organized the mail.
He had heard these kinds of stories too many times.
He had heard them in New Covenant City, in Caran City, and in the Carter Royal Capital.
Every city-state was the same: the nobles lived in debauchery while the bottom-tier people struggled to survive.
But useful information was often hidden within their complaints.
Someone mentioned that the quarry in the south of the city had suddenly closed recently, leaving hundreds of people without a livelihood.
Someone else noted that a new batch of cargo had arrived at the docks; the regular unloading workers were chased away and replaced with unfamiliar faces.
There were also whispers that the warehouses in the east of the city were recently stuffed with grain, yet the market price of grain had actually risen by thirty percent.
Lin Gui kept these pieces of information in mind.
It wasn't until eight in the evening that the last customer finally left.
Lin Gui stood up and closed the door, the wooden door making a dull thud behind him.
The post office grew quiet, with only the magic glowstone emitting a faint light.
He returned to the counter and began sorting the letters collected today.
There were over two hundred, fewer than in Dragonbone City, but still a decent number.
He categorized and stuffed them into his messenger bag, finishing nearly at nine o'clock.
Lin Gui stretched, planning to return to his room to study magic.
Although the Messenger System allowed him to obtain new spells and mastery levels without deliberate practice, that only applied to Mid Rank spells and below.
He was a High Rank mage himself; he still had to figure out High Rank magic on his own.
For instance, his Wind Listening spell had yet to reach maximum mastery.
Furthermore, with his current magic control and understanding of the elements, he was even confident he could cast Transcendent magic beyond his rank.
But he didn't plan on learning it.
While Transcendent spells were powerful, their consumption was also immense.
A few casts would drain him dry; for someone like him who relied on concealment and mobility, it was too much of a liability.
It was more practical to master High Rank magic thoroughly.
Lin Gui cleared the desk and prepared to head upstairs.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three knocks sounded, neither heavy nor light.
Lin Gui’s hand paused on the stair railing.
He tilted his head to listen for a moment, but only the sound of the night wind came from outside.
There were no footsteps, no sounds of breathing, and no whispered conversations.
Lin Gui didn't rush to open the door.
He chanted in a low voice, metal-element mana condensing at his fingertips before gathering on the alchemical raven he pulled from his storage space.
The raven's metal feathers glinted coldly under the light of the magic glowstone.
He pushed open a side window, and the raven glided out silently.
The street outside the post office was empty, the moonlight bleaching the stone road white.
The raven circled once in the air before landing on a roof opposite, turning its head to look at the post office entrance.
A figure wrapped tightly in clothes was squatting in front of the door.
Their face was hidden, their gender indiscernible; the robes were wide and large, and the hood was pulled down low.
The person placed an object on the threshold, stood up, and immediately ducked into a nearby alley.
The movement was very swift, as if they feared being discovered.
The raven followed, but the person had already vanished deep into the alley, not even leaving a shadow behind.
Lin Gui recalled the raven, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
Then, he saw a letter on the threshold.
There was no wax seal, no mark, and not even the recipient's name was written.
Only a single line of text was on the envelope:
【Please deliver this to that Legendary mage who hails from the bottom and labors for the worthless weeds.】
Lin Gui: “...”
He froze for several seconds before bending down to pick up the letter.
He returned to sit at the counter and tore open the envelope.
Inside was a flyer made of coarse paper, its corners stained with ink, looking as though it had been printed by hand.
Lin Gui unfolded it and scanned it.
Then, his brow furrowed.
【To all those unwilling to be slaves】
【Do you know why some eat swill while others pour fine wine into the gutters?】
【Do you know why some work themselves to death their whole lives and cannot even afford a burial plot, while others are born owning an entire city-state?】
【Do you know why the flags of the City-State Alliance are inscribed with "Unity," "Order," and "Prosperity," while your bowl contains only moldy bread?】
【Because this city-state has never belonged to you.】
【The nobles enjoy your sweat, the knights trample your dignity, and the merchants drain your blood.】
【And you can only kneel, thanking them for their grace in not killing you.】
【But kneeling has never been the only posture.】
【Serpent-Spine Ridge, Moonlight Valley, February 10th, Year 43 of the Dark Age.】
【We shall be here to discuss grand matters.】
After Lin Gui finished reading, he leaned back against his chair, his fingers tapping gently on the table twice.
He hadn't expected that the story he had fabricated would actually attract the rebels.
It seemed his made-up story had resonated deeply with people.
In fact, Lin Gui wasn't surprised by the existence of rebels at all.
In an era like this, where human life was considered worthless, it would be strange if rebels didn't emerge.
However, for a long time, the Alliance's power and bloody suppression had rendered those with the heart to resist numb.
They even became willing to be oppressed and harvested.
This had resulted in almost no large-scale rebel activity.
Someone like Caesar in the Carter Royal Capital was already the largest and strongest rebel Lin Gui had seen since the time of Spark.
But the flyer before him used a tone more intense than Caesar’s, and its demands were more extreme.
He looked toward the bottom, wanting to see which group of refugees that didn't value their lives intended to cause trouble.
However, when he clearly saw the name of the inviter, he was instantly stunned.
Inviter: President of the Embers of Spark.
Sivir Vera.
Looking at this name, Lin Gui silently gripped the flyer.
Three years had passed since that event.
Do they still not plan to stop?
Rate on N.U.
