Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 417 Fraud Gang
As a law-abiding citizen, Ethan immediately refused Xiao An's bribery request. However, the persistent black cat did not give up. After being enlightened by a white-haired woman who wished to remain anonymous, Xiao An quickly realized that the celebration's events were completely irrelevant. No matter what she told the nobles, they would believe it and offer up their gold and silver jewelry.

The only difference is that it changed from accepting bribes to committing fraud.

So, during the intensive preparations for the Autumn Harvest Festival, a small incident occurred in the capital.

In the evening, a talking black cat entered the mansions of many nobles. The cat told them that she knew the contents of the celebration and that by spending 998 gold lions, one could get ahead of other participants at the starting line.

Two days later, Ethan, who had been kept in the dark, woke up and fell into deep thought as he looked at the gold lion and jewelry that filled several bags on his bed.

"Little An, where did this come from?"

“Dividends.”

The black cat proudly puffed out its chest.

She simply visited every household in the upper district of the capital and instantly became a wealthy woman. This made her admire Lin Dong more and more. That woman usually looked aloof, but in reality, she was full of wicked schemes. All these calculations were Lin Dong's ideas.

“We are partners, each receiving one-third, which is fair and just.”

Upon hearing this, Ethan's eyelids twitched violently a few times.

If he understood correctly, the "partners" Xiao An mentioned actually meant a criminal gang. Once he accepted the money, it was like getting on Xiao An's pirate ship and becoming an ant on the same rope. But then, he realized a more serious problem.

"One-third? Who else was involved?"

"A master."

"What kind of expert? Tell me your name!"

"I have professional ethics, and I will resolutely not say."

“Tell me your name, and all this money and jewelry will be yours.”

"A master with white hair and red eyes who can also transform into a cat."

Xiao An declared righteously, "I would never betray her!"

As she spoke, she secretly put all the money pouches on the bed into her storage space in front of Ethan, making them disappear into the end of the black vortex.

She kept her promise and did not reveal the other partner's name, even when faced with the temptation of money and jewelry, upholding her principles to the end!
Faced with this situation, Ethan's head throbbed slightly; he hadn't expected Winter to get involved as well.

In reality, Xiao An is not short of money at all. She doesn't even have a clear concept of wealth and jewelry. Based on Ethan's understanding of her, she just wants to do bad things and enjoys the process of committing crimes. As for the spoils obtained through crimes, she will never look at them again after they are absorbed into her black hole.

Xiao An is one of the rare criminals who commit crimes not for money, but purely out of interest.

As for the harsh winter...

Ethan also felt that she probably disliked the nobles of the Silverglow Empire, which reminded her of the empire under Julius's rule. If you looked at it the other way around, taking their money was already the most restrained outcome. A few years ago, when she met Winter in Riverwood, she wanted to burn the empire down.

Its level of danger and radicalism rivals that of those who want to blow up Arasaka Tower.

Thinking about it this way, Ethan felt somewhat gratified. This directly reflected how much Winter's temper had improved over the years, just like how Johnny Silverhand's resistance to the company went from transporting small nuclear bombs to writing songs to curse people and then making a fortune from their ticket sales through concerts.

How did you find out the specific details of the celebration?

These days, Winter and he have mostly been acting separately. She has been staying by the Third Princess's side, attending many events with her, while he directly liaises with the Empire's Prime Minister to discuss the arrangements for the celebrations.

A man named Balmont Margaret.

Despite having Margaret's surname, she lacked the ahoge (cowlick) on her head, which made Ethan feel very uncomfortable when they were together.

"I do not know."

Xiao An was perfectly justified.

"Then why would they give you money?"

"Hehe, they think I know."

Ethan had to admit that his heart skipped a beat when he heard Xiao An's reply. Not only was it because it involved fraud and a huge sum of money, enough to warrant the court immediately setting up a special task force, but what was worse was that today was the day the specific details of the celebration program would be announced to the participants. He could already imagine the bloodshed that would ensue outside the palace in a few hours.

But as the nominal advisor for the celebration, he was required to be present today.

Excuses like stomach aches, a cold, or a family emergency are not valid today.

After poking Xiao An's forehead a few times in a fit of anger, Ethan had no choice but to step out of the room and face reality.

This was undoubtedly the liveliest day in the capital since Henry VI ascended the throne. Nobles and commoners alike left their homes and headed excitedly to their respective destinations. Nobles, wealthy merchants, and commoners were naturally separated into different areas. Although the atmosphere in the capital had subtly changed recently, it was still far from the point where everyone could break down class barriers and gather together in harmony.

According to Ethan's understanding, more than 60% of the nobles in the capital still believe that commoners carry germs and that staying in the same place with them for a long time will lead to infection. Therefore, even for health reasons, they are unwilling to stay with commoners.

In the eyes of the nobles, a gathering place with high concentrations of commoners was no different from a drug den.

In recent years, many nobles have proposed amending the law. They cannot tolerate breathing the same air as commoners. They need the empire's artisans to brainstorm and develop a head-mounted air filtration device for them. Some have even suggested that the commoners should be expelled from the capital.

The first bill is being prepared intensively, while the second bill will remain shelved until they find a labor force that can replace civilians.

Ethan learned all of this during his conversation with the Empire's Chancellor.

Perhaps because Balmon did not come from a noble family as prominent as the imperial nobility, he did not show any personal emotional tendency when talking about the common people. Or perhaps this was his way of looking at things, not being swayed by emotions, and looking at everything that was happening in the Silver Empire from an objective perspective.

Balmon also made no comment on these bills.

Aside from lacking a cowlick, this person's demeanor and mannerisms were quite reminiscent of the Margaret family, making him seem somewhat out of place among the nobles of the Silver Glow Empire.

On such an important holiday, the Empire's Chancellor was naturally present, standing beside Henry VI.

The portrait of Henry VI hanging in the palace here bears a striking resemblance to that of Queen Margaret. Without the later serious injuries that plagued him, Henry VI of the Silver Empire appears to be in high spirits, and around fifty years old is the peak of life for extraordinary beings.

As for the nobles outside the palace... Ethan pinched his thigh hard to keep himself from laughing out loud on the city wall.

The vast crowd could only remind him of the phrase "a gathering of wise men and women." At first glance, everyone had their own unique characteristics. Some wore fireproof cloaks and carried enchanted longswords, their eyes looking like they were about to slay a dragon. Beside him were people who had changed into down jackets and wrapped themselves up tightly, like athletes going to the North to participate in a skiing competition. There were also burly men with bare upper bodies, showing off their muscles and curves—which was quite remarkable among the generally overweight physiques of the nobility.

Ethan even spotted people in the crowd carrying oxygen tubes, wearing diving suits, and dressed in a way that was clearly out of step with the season.

He couldn't quite imagine what Xiao An had said to these people that made the nobles of the capital go into battle in such strange attire.

They were clearly taken aback by the attire of those around them, but what was most admirable was that each of them was full of confidence, firmly believing that they were the ones who had the real information. This kind of aura, where everyone else was a clown, was truly admirable.

Unfortunately, half an hour later, when the herald of the celebration read out the specific items, the nobles' imposing manner vanished instantly. Some blushed, some blushed, and some blushed in both places. They stared incredulously at the black cat on the city wall, or more accurately, the black cat that was perched on their shoulder.

They couldn't vent their anger, not only because they had been scammed, but also because they had believed the black cat's words and acted like clowns in front of everyone. Even Henry VI was present this time, and the king stood on the city wall, watching their ugly behavior unfold.

Compared to the financial loss, losing face is what they find most unbearable.

What is supposed to come will come.

After the ceremony proceedings were read out, the nobles, their faces flushed with anger, swarmed forward, blocking Ethan's path and surrounding the man and cat menacingly. They spoke vehemently, demanding an explanation from Ethan.

Ethan knew he was in the wrong and it was inconvenient for him to take a more aggressive stance. Just as he was hesitating whether he should make Xiao An apologize or stubbornly refuse to admit it, a dignified voice stopped all the angry shouts. The nobles looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Third Princess walking gracefully towards them.

People made way for them, allowing the third princess to come to Ethan without any hindrance.

"The cat that sneaked into your mansion last night was probably a black cat, right?"

She lifted the black cat from Ethan's shoulder, gently holding it by its two front paws, suspending its body in mid-air.

"There's no mistake, it's her!"

"How dare she deceive us!"

"They deserve to die!"

……

Faced with the indignant nobles, the third princess asked only one question, "What did she deceive you about?"

Of course, it's for the celebration, so they can prepare in advance...

But when the words were about to be spoken, the nobles suddenly fell silent.

This is a tactic that everyone tacitly understands but is inconvenient to discuss openly, especially since the messenger at the celebration emphasized the principle of "fairness and impartiality," which is very rare in the past. If they were to admit it at this moment and be identified as cheaters by the royal family, they would very likely be disqualified from the competition.

Seeing that the nobles were stammering and unable to give a clear answer, the third princess asked again, "Are you sure that what you saw last night was this black cat?"

"Of course, how could it be wrong?"

The Third Princess glanced coldly at the person who answered, then looked at Winter. Winter, in full view of everyone, took out a photograph. The photograph also showed a black cat sneaking into a noble manor.

However, after comparing the black cat with the photo, anyone with eyes could see the difference.

The black cat in the photo has a few white spots on its back fur, and its entire belly area is also white. They rarely come into contact with felines, and the only impression they have of the fraudster is that he is a black cat.

But upon closer inspection, it turned out that it wasn't a cat at all.

For a moment, the scene was silent.

"Your ability to discern right from wrong is poor, and you even attempted to cheat. Your qualifications have been revoked."

The Third Princess solemnly declared, "The Autumn Harvest Festival is a festival born to pray for the empire's well-being. Your actions run counter to the meaning of the festival and have seriously tarnished the significance of the celebration!"

Henry VI, who had not yet left, also took in the scene at the palace. He nodded with satisfaction as he watched his daughter reprimand the nobles until they were speechless.

However, he was not entirely satisfied with everything about the festival.

Ultimately, the festival originated from his daughter's whim. He initially thought it was just a child's whims, but unexpectedly, Balmont took the initiative to agree to hold the celebration and gave quite a good reason.

The news of the death of Grand Summoner Hetia in Gear City has spread throughout the cities of the Empire. In addition, Lance, a former member of the Warriors Squad and a great swordsman, has been wanted by the Empire for betrayal. People inside and outside the capital are in a state of panic, and such a celebration is needed to stabilize the people's hearts.

This is what pleased Henry VI most about Balmont.

This prime minister always managed to turn seemingly trivial matters into propaganda beneficial to the empire and his rule.

After hearing the details of the celebration, Henry VI became somewhat puzzled.

"The celebration items you have decided on are far too ordinary."

Henry VI pointed out the problem, and he preferred the strangely dressed nobles who had gathered outside the palace earlier. "I thought the content would be something meaningful, like dragon hunting or conquering the sea."

All the content that was just read out was too mundane.

It's so ordinary that every ordinary person in the empire can participate, because much of it is simply part of their lives.

Farming, cooking, tailoring, forging...

"Your Majesty, the Empire does indeed need heroes in the fields of dragon hunting and navigation, just like the legends between heroes and demon kings."

Balmon said, "But they are not the whole empire; there are many other people you can't even notice who together build this country."

Balmont noticed Henry VI's slightly furrowed brow and his meaningful look, and immediately added, "And all of this is beneficial to your political propaganda."

Upon hearing this, Henry VI's brow finally relaxed.

He simply nodded slightly and walked into the palace without looking back.

(End of this chapter)