Chapter 578: A Life-or-death Report
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
Yorko's life had been very comfortable of late.
With the King of Dawn still to recuperate, Prince Roland seemed to have forgotten about him as well. It was only the nobles who did not ignore this ambassador from a neighboring country.
He attended extravagant banquets and indulged in various pleasures with Denise, who even introduced him to exclusive clubs and brothels. The abundance and unique flavors of the capital were things he would never be able to enjoy in Graycastle.
His current life was only made possible because of his title as "Wimbledon's royal ambassador".
Although his rank was equivalent to an earl, yet in certain ways, he possessed more advantages than an earl. The latter could only do as he pleased within his own fief, while the former could enjoy the privileges of an upper noble in the other kingdoms as well.
This clearly showed him the benefits that status accorded.
The bodyguard assigned him to by His Majesty, named Hill Fawkes, was also a peculiar person.
Whenever Yorko made contact with a new person, Hill would sneak into that person's bedroom within the following three nights and later inform Yorko about that person's identity, status and interests. If the person was a big shot, nearly everything about his life (including his hobbies) could be found out. With Hill's assistance, Yorko was able to mingle within the noble community even more smoothly.
Furthermore, Hill's arrangements allowed him to make considerable progress on his plan to purchase slaves.
Once, after a great night in bed with Denise, he mentioned this plan to her and she immediately agreed to his idea—the existing caravan would be used to establish a slave trading route, through which he would purchase the refugees required by His Majesty from the other slave traffickers, and transport them to Graycastle where they would be resold. The condition was that the slaves had to each be given an identity as a free citizen, and not be treated merely as goods for resale.
Of course, merchants were merchants after all; even at a time of pleasure, they did not forget to negotiate the price. While Denise would not charge a commission, Yorko would have to cover all of the transportation expenses. After factoring in the manpower costs, meal costs, vehicle fees and other expenses, he calculated that the selling price of each slave had to be set at 10 silver royals in order for the business to reach his desired profit.
When Hill entrusted him with this task, he assuredly accepted and proclaimed that he would not let any more talented people end up as slaves. His attitude undoubtedly deepened Denise's attraction to him. After concluding the brief negotiation, the two of them returned to the bed for another passionate romp.
In the following days, Yorko sent Hill to negotiate with the other parties involved so that he did not have to take care of these trivial business matters himself.
Soon, when he heard that the first batch of slaves, comprising of 25 people, had been purchased the previous day, he realized that it made him eligible for the 125 silver royals which His Majesty had promised as a reward.
Is there another job where I can make money just by lying in bed?
Being an ambassador is simply awesome!
Just as Yorko was deliberating over where to go for fun today, a servant knocked on the door and walked into the room. "Your Excellency, the eldest son of the Luoxi Family, Lord Otto, wishes to meet you."
"Otto Luoxi?" Yorko was familiar with this name. He knew that Luoxi was one of the three powerful families of King's City of Kingdom of Dawn, and was only second in power to the Moya royal family. Denise had even warned him that he was free to court any woman except those of these three families, especially the Quinn family. His status as an ambassador would be insufficient to protect him in that case.
Yorko did not have to worry that this was the reason as he had paid great caution in all of his love affairs. "Perhaps, he has come to invite me to another banquet?"
"Bring him in."
A young man entered the study. He first took a good look around the place, and then closed the windows in the room on his own initiative before he sat down on the chair intended for him.
His expression looked somewhat anxious. The dark circles under his eyes revealed that he had stayed up late and not slept much the previous night.
Yorko was against the idea of emptying one's vitality for the sake of enjoyment. In his opinion, the abstemious sexual pleasure was beneficial as it made both partners happy and healthy. In contrast, depleting all of one's energy in bed would harm one's physical potential in the long term. Prince Appen was a clear example of this. His face had turned completely pale, and if he did not change his ways, he would be incapable of seeking pleasure by the time he turned 30.
The young man did not say anything for a long time. This surprised Yorko. It felt discourteous, especially coming from one of the three families. He waited for a while before he decided to break the silence. "Greetings. You should be Lord Otto Luoxi. What brings..."
"You're able to contact His Majesty Roland Wimbledon, right?" The young man suddenly snapped. "I have an important report for him."
"Eh..." Yorko was puzzled. "What report?"
"It's all written in here." Otto took out a letter, placed it in front of Yorko, and added ten gold royals on top of it. "And this money is for reward. Please make sure that this letter reaches your king. The information concerns the survival of Kingdom of Graycastle!"
Yorko inhaled a mouthful of cold air. "The survival of Kingdom of Graycastle? This has to be an exaggeration." Otto continued to stare at him with gleaming eyes until he collected his wits and replied, "I understand. Don't worry, I'll do as you say and deliver this to His Majesty."
"Make sure it's done as soon as possible." After exhorting Yorko repeatedly, Otto got up and departed. His anxious demeanor clearly suggested that he was not lying.
Yorko hastily kept the ten gold royals in his pocket. Instead, he left the letter untouched. He was aware that it had to be handled with great caution and thus it was best to ask Hill for advice first.
...
At night, when Hill Fawkes entered his bedroom, Yorko went through what happened during the day.
After listening to Yorko's account, Hill pondered for a while before he pulled out a small knife and cleanly opened the letter.
"What're you doing!" Yorko exclaimed in shock. "Opening a letter intended for His Majesty is a grave offense!"
"Shh." Hill made a gesture to keep quiet. "If the information is truly as important as he claims, it would be wrong for us to use conventional means to deliver this letter. A messenger from City of Dawn to Western Region will take at least a month, while bad situations may occur on the road. It'd be too risky."
"What has that got to do with opening the letter?"
"Do you remember the gray falcons I've been keeping? They're the fastest couriers of all. They can reach City of Dawn within two to three days." Hill explained. "At City of Dawn, they'll pass the letter to another group of falcons, and within a week, His Majesty will be able to receive it. However, they're unable to carry such a large envelope. After I've read the contents, I'll rewrite the letter as a secret letter."
"Gray falcons are able to send letters like carrier pigeons?" Yorko was astonished. "I'd thought you raised them for hunting."
"They're much smarter than pigeons." Hill remarked. He then opened the letter and soon his expression turned grim. "Who would think something like this could happen..."
"What's written in it?"
"Do you really want to know?" Hill turned his head.
"Never mind." Yorko coughed twice. "I'd rather be able to sleep well tonight."
"A wise choice." Hill approved. "Also, it's best you don't mention to anyone that Otto Luoxi came to find you. All banquets in the palace should be canceled or postponed for now." He paused briefly before revealing. "They're in deep trouble."
烦了."