Do you all know the future?

Chapter 145 Information Traffickers
The Valentine family mansion was situated on a fairly wide street. The stone walls of the mansion did not have many elaborate carvings, only smooth stone bricks and black-painted wrought iron doors and windows, which exuded the shrewdness and pragmatism of a businessman.

After the carriage came to a stop, Lady Terry alighted first. She walked to the tightly closed black door and pulled the brass handle next to it.

A crisp bell rang from inside the door, and after a moment, a small window opened, revealing a wrinkled, wary face.

"Please inform them that guests from Favreya wish to discuss a business deal concerning the future of the port with the master of the house."

Mrs. Terry handed over a gold-embossed name card, her voice low but clear enough for the old servant behind the door to hear clearly.

With the help of Queen Fafia, and disguised as a Fafia, the current Ishtar, upon hearing that he comes from Tudor, can basically be associated with the exiled Holy Blood Prince.

The old servant took the visiting card, looked at Lady Terry suspiciously for a few moments, then glanced at the carriage parked behind her, before closing the small window.

After a long wait, the door finally opened with a heavy creak, revealing a simply dressed but clean butler standing behind it. He bowed slightly to Mrs. Terry and Diane, who had just alighted from the car.

"Please come in, my master is waiting in the living room."

After passing through a small courtyard, Diane and Mrs. Terry were led to a brightly lit drawing room.

The room lacked luxurious tapestries and crystal chandeliers; instead, it featured thick carpets, polished wooden furniture, and several oil paintings depicting harbors and merchant ships.

Diane frowned. This didn't seem like the lifestyle of a wealthy merchant; it was too frugal.

A slightly overweight, middle-aged man with graying hair stood up from the armchair by the fireplace.

He was dressed in a dark blue velvet suit, his face bearing the affable air typical of a businessman, but his eyes revealed an undisguised weariness and scrutiny.

"Welcome, gentlemen. I am Mario Valentine. May I ask what brings you two from Favreau to see this businessman who is on the verge of bankruptcy?"

He nodded to Diane and Mrs. Terry without being overly enthusiastic or impolite, seemingly unsure of their identities.

It was impossible to judge the strength of Diane and her group, but their calm and composed demeanor suggested that they were either rich or powerful.

“Mr. Valentine, you are too kind. I am Gray, a merchant from Favya who is doing business in Ishtar. We are just passing through. I have heard that you are the person who knows the most about shipping in Ishtar. I always feel sorry for such a dilapidated port and would like to hear your opinion.”

Diane began by suggesting that they start by discussing the port issue from the perspective of the other party's most practical interests.

"My opinion? My opinion is that if things continue like this, my boat will only be good for firewood."

Valentine gave a wry smile. He reached for a cigar box on the low table beside him and gestured for Diane and the others to sit down. He then returned to his armchair. He looked at Diane, then at Lady Terry and the head maid standing half a step behind her, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.

What difficulties has the port encountered in its operations?

The head maid pulled out a chair for Diane, then quietly stepped back behind her. Lady Terry pulled out a chair herself and sat down, looking at Diane.

"Difficulty? You're being too kind with your question. This isn't a difficulty, it's a death sentence for me!"

Mario Valentine seemed to be ignited by Diane's words, slamming the unlit cigar heavily onto the table. The cigar rolled twice on the smooth wooden table before coming to a stop.

"Just last month, my largest ship, the 'Pearl of the Sea,' was fully loaded with spices and silk and ready to set sail. Those lunatics were performing some kind of crazy ceremony in the dock warehouse, and suddenly the sky cracked open and a tentacle reached out!"

"In just that one moment, the mast of the 'Pearl of the Sea' snapped like a toothpick. The ship was fine, but the sailors were terrified. Half of them packed up and ran away that very day. Now, who would dare to go out to sea?"

Valentine complained about the destruction of port shipping caused by the cultists' invocation of evil gods. His businessman-like affability vanished, replaced by an agitation mixed with anger and hatred.

Just as the diary says, the merchant was greatly hurt. He was the most eager to surrender when Diane came. He couldn't say he was loyal to Diane, but the environment in Ishtar was just too bad.

The changing environment made this businessman realize that he was just a pig riding the wave, and that without the stable environment provided by Queen Greta, he would never have become a great businessman.

"Is it that bad? We haven't been to Ishtar in a long time, and it's definitely much more desolate than before."

Diane thought of the scene she had witnessed yesterday, from prosperity to desolation, which was heartbreaking.

“It’s not the Ishtar that’s used to be. Look at that painting. That’s Ishtar from my father’s time. Back then, there were seven ships being maintained in my family’s shipyard at the same time!”

Valentine showed a proud expression, but then his whole demeanor slumped down.

"But what about now? The ships docked in the port are either too afraid to leave or no one is operating them. As for shipping routes? The routes to the North have long been cut off because I heard that the situation there is even worse, with a million residents of Winterguard City in the North being sacrificed to an evil god."

"Eight out of ten times when you go to the east, you'll encounter those altars floating on the sea. Goods are piling up in warehouses and getting moldy. Good reputations are disappearing faster than water, and trade with the Eastern Continent has almost come to a standstill."

He took a breath and pointed to a map on the wall, where the flight routes were marked with several large crosses, making it very conspicuous.

"Didn't the gods fight back? I heard that the Moon Goddess and the God of Life blessed His Majesty the King?"

Diane waited until his emotions had calmed down a bit before speaking again. He picked up the glass of cold water in front of him but didn't drink it; he just looked at the reflection in the water.

Where did you hear this news from?

Valentine's panting stopped abruptly. He jerked his head up, the flush of anger on his face fading visibly, replaced by an extremely vigilant scrutiny.

He stopped looking at the cigar and stared intently at Diane's face, as if trying to find some flaw in that young face.

"Isn't it all over the spirit world? After all, everyone knows that the Shield of Radiance was used to fight the new god, but was instead killed by the new god."

The Shield of Radiance originated from Ishtar and was used by the Moon God and the God of Life to fight against the new gods, which indeed shows that King Murak had pledged allegiance to the two gods.

“Mr. Gray, the rumors coming from the Spirit Realm are more numerous than the waves at sea. His Majesty the King has already denied it. After all, the Holy Lance was stolen first, so it's not surprising that the Shield of Radiance was also lost.”

Valentine remained silent for a good ten seconds, then slowly reached out, picked up the cigar on the table, took out a small silver cigar cutter from his pocket, and with a "click," cleanly cut off the head of the cigar, using this series of actions to delay his speech.

"Ishtar's treasury is too easy to steal. Anyone can steal it, and they'll only steal artifacts."

Diane chuckled lightly, not caring whether it was true or not; people had already decided that was how it was, so explanations were pointless.

"For a small businessman like me, what I hear is not important; what matters is the gold coins I can hold in my hands. I wonder, Mr. Gray, are you here today to chat or to discuss business?" Valentine did not light a cigar, but simply placed it to his lips, sniffing it as if savoring the aroma of the unlit tobacco, a standard businessman's smile on his face.

"I've heard you have excellent connections, and I'd like to ask you some questions. Besides the Blood Moon Goddess and the God of Life, who are the representatives of the other gods?"

Diane asked about the main purpose of her visit to Valentine today: to reclaim Istya and deal with not only Murak, but also a whole bunch of rebels and ambitious people.

In the midst of terror and danger, there are always those who seize the opportunity to profit; while others see risk, they see opportunity.

Knowing in advance and responding accurately will prevent unexpected problems from popping up during the battle.

“This isn’t a simple question of ‘broadening my horizons.’ I still want to keep this head on my neck for a few more years. Every single one of the names you’re asking about is a real tongue-twister.”

He picked up a match from the table, the orange-yellow flame dancing before his eyes, lit a cigar, took a drag of the smoke, and his tone became relaxed.

"An intelligence merchant has information that can't be revealed? Don't make me laugh. These aren't questions about the weaknesses of the gods."

Diane placed her folded hands on the table, looking relaxed and curious, and whispered as she watched Valentine puffing on his cigarette.

"I don't know either. If I wanted to know the weaknesses of the gods, I would be long gone. Do you want to know the connection between the gods?"

"I can say that, but we need to talk first. What will I get in return if I tell you? You can't expect me to risk my life just to chat with you and keep you company, can you?"

Valentine took a deep drag on his cigar and exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke. He looked at the two men in front of him, wanting to see what bargaining chips they could offer.

"This should be enough."

Diane didn't move. She reached out and took out a small badge from a small, exquisite handbag she carried with her. It was made of a dark metal that was neither gold nor silver, and it was engraved with an old-fashioned pattern of an anchor and ears of wheat.

Mrs. Terry placed the badge in the center of the table, gently pushed it forward with two fingers, and the badge slid silently across the smooth wooden table, finally coming to a steady stop in the middle between Diane and Mario Valentine.

"That's enough, but is that all there is to it?"

Valentine's shrewd eyes caught sight of the badge, and the previous scrutiny and wariness faded, replaced by a focused attention reserved for weighing goods.

"That's right, what we need is a spokesperson for the gods of the entire nation!"

Diane didn't speak; it was Mrs. Terry, who had paid the money, who spoke.

"Ha, interesting, very interesting. Okay, I'll take this deal!"

Valentine burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the room. He reached out and flicked the long ash from his cigar into the crystal ashtray beside him.

"Besides that brute De Laman and his ambiguous relationship with the God of War, in the capital, the Minister of Agriculture, Marquis Garcia, has an altar to the God of Earth hidden in his back garden; and the Minister of Finance, Lord Osmond, is the God of Commerce and Wealth..."

"...The Mister family in that muddy land to the south worships the god of knowledge, while the Marquise Clermont to the west, who is always thinking about how to throw a ball, is the most devout wallet of the goddess of love and beauty."

Valentine's words were concise and to the point, briefly introducing the nobleman's name and background, and then stating which gods he was associated with.

Diane didn't record it; Mrs. Terry copied it down in a small notebook, noting down the information and comparing it with the information in her diary.

"I've finished speaking. Do you have any further questions?"

Valentine extinguished his cigar, fiddled with the badge Mrs. Terry had given him, and glanced at the group of people out of the corner of his eye.

"No, thank you for your help, Mr. Valentine!"

Mrs. Terry breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the information matched, but there were still things she didn't know. After all, not everything was recorded in the diary.

"Thank you for the information, Mr. Valentine. It's getting late, so we won't bother you any longer."

As Diane prepared to get up, the head maid pulled out a stool to give her room to stand.

Are you His Highness An's people?

Diane disguised herself and was not recognized, but Valentine's shrewd eyes saw through her disguise.

Why do you think so?

Diane froze as he prepared to take a step, his smile freezing on his face. He hadn't even said a few words; how had he given himself away?

"Only His Highness An needs to have a full grasp of the current situation in Istya; no one else needs to."

Valentine stared intently at Diane, especially when he saw Mrs. Terry step forward and stand to the side and slightly in front of Diane. This position allowed her to see Valentine clearly and also subtly protect Diane from behind.

Unfortunately, Diane's disguise was too good. Her golden hair was not the black hair of the rumors, and her purple eyes clearly showed the blood of the Fafia royal family. Otherwise, Valentine would have thought that it was Princess Diane who had arrived.

“Mr. Valentine is a smart man, but you may be mistaken. We are Her Majesty Catherine’s men, but we can also have some connection with Prince Anne. We are here for Prince Anne.”

Diane smiled and said, no longer hiding her "identity," thus finding an excuse for her actions in Istaya.

"Queen Fafya? What are you here for?"

Valentine frowned, clutching the badge, half-believing, half-doubting. Fafia wasn't too far from Ishtar, but it wasn't too close either. Why send someone here?

"Since Mr. Valentine was so quick to give us the information, I won't hide it from you. Her Majesty Catherine wants to bring Prince Anne to our Favia, since we can better help him restore his kingdom."

"Let us now go to Ishtar to conduct an investigation and make preparations, so that His Highness An can return to Ishtar to familiarize himself with the local situation."

Diane explained her prepared identity, which dispelled most of Valentine's suspicions.

Rumor has it that Queen Fafia has indeed fallen in love with Prince Anne, and even risked her life to deliver messages to him during the War of the Gods.

(End of this chapter)