Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Half a day later, at the entrance of the labor dispatch center in the slum.

Pedestrians stopped in their tracks and looked in surprise at the crowd gathered outside the gate.

The sounds of sobbing rose and fell, intertwining in the air like a mournful symphony.

"Your mother's name? The name of your hometown where you lived 25 years ago?"

Shea held a yellowed envelope and softly asked the simply dressed girl in front of her.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her long silver hair, casting a faint red glow.

The girl's body trembled slightly, and her eyes held a hint of fear.

They cautiously observed the silver-haired, red-eyed elf before them.

Terrifying legends about demons kept flashing through her mind, making her almost unable to stand.

"My mother's name, the name of the hometown I lived in 25 years ago."

Shea repeated herself, her voice as soft as a feather.

"...Yel Vicky...My hometown is Moro City." The girl's voice was barely audible.

"Yes, you are indeed her daughter. Here's the letter." Shia handed over the envelope.

The girl quickly grabbed the envelope, then withdrew her hand like a startled deer and ran away.

Her footsteps sounded particularly hurried in the dusty alley.

Shea sighed softly, her silver eyelashes drooping.

She really didn't understand why Lin Gui insisted on making her do this job.

Given her half-demon status, it's already a miracle she didn't scare people away.

"Thank you so much, fairy sister!!"

Suddenly, a girl's clear voice came from outside the door.

Xia looked up in surprise, only to see the dust rising from the alley entrance, shimmering in the setting sun.

The figure had long since vanished.

She pursed her lips and muttered under her breath.

"Thanks to everyone, you ran pretty fast..."

As he was talking, he couldn't help but laugh.

That smile was like the first melting of ice and snow.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, inadvertently stirring the hearts of many onlookers.

"Hey, Shia, did you tell her to write a reply?"

Lin Gui had just returned from the bank with 500 silver coins.

As he handed the two silver coins to the messenger, he turned to Shia and asked.

His forehead was still covered with fine beads of sweat from his journey.

"Uh—I forgot." Shia touched the tip of her nose sheepishly.

"Then hurry up and chase after them!"

Urged on by Lin Gui, Shia reluctantly left the dispatch center.

With a light step, she leaped onto the highest point of the slum, using the protrusions of the scattered wooden houses as cover.

The top of an abandoned guard tower.

The wind tousled her silver hair, tracing graceful arcs in the sunset.

With her right hand resting on her forehead, Shia's ruby-like eyes shimmered slightly.

A short while later, she found the girl in a nearby alley.

After leaving the dispatch center, Annie clutched the letter tightly, unable to suppress a smile.

She skipped and hopped forward in the golden glow of the setting sun, like a joyful little deer.

Her steps were light and agile as she nimbly navigated the intricate slum.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the eaves, casting dappled shadows on her.

The neighbor's little black dog wagged its tail and followed.

Annie took a small piece of bread crumb from her pocket and tossed it over.

He even imitated the image of the fat, wealthy man from his memory, tilting his head back and saying to the little black dog:

"Ahei, I'm in a good mood today, this is a reward for you~"

Hahaha~

She laughed first, opened her arms, and felt the cool breeze brushing through her fingers.

I jogged all the way home.

Before she even entered the room, Ani's clear voice rang out.

"Grandma!! Grandpa wrote a letter!!"

An elderly woman with a cane had been waiting at the door for a long time.

Time has etched wrinkles on her face, but her eyes remain bright.

She took the letter from Annie, her calloused fingers gently tracing the envelope.

He didn't seem overly excited, as if it were just an ordinary letter.

After reading it, she smiled faintly, fine crow's feet appearing at the corners of her eyes.

Ani asked, puzzled, "Grandma, why aren't you crying? There are so many people at the dispatch center, and they're crying even before they've opened their letters."

The old woman patted her granddaughter's head and said with a smile.

"Grandma is already eighty years old; she's long past the age of getting sentimental at the drop of a hat."

Her voice was as gentle as the evening breeze.

"Really? I don't really understand..."

You'll understand later.

Just then, a soft cough came from the eaves.

"Ahem—um...remember to write back, little girl."

"The letter will be sent to the dispatch center, and Lin Gui will be responsible for delivering your letter back to New Testament City."

When Annie looked up, Shia had already vanished, leaving only the wind chimes on the eaves still ringing softly.

Until nightfall, just before the labor dispatch center was about to close.

Lin Gui took down the envelopes from the wall, counted them by the dim light, and sighed deeply.

The light cast a long shadow of him, swaying on the mottled wall.

Of the 679 letters, 184 remain.

Half a day is enough time for the laborers to travel around the entire city of Karan several times.

The recipients of those 300-plus emails may have perished during that massive evacuation.

Lin Gui clapped his hands and said to Xia after putting the envelope into his backpack.

"You've worked hard, let me treat you to dinner."

She rubbed her shoulders and asked casually.

"How much money did you make coming all this way?"

Making money? Lin Gui rolled his eyes. He'd be paying out of his own pocket!

"Barely making ends meet."

"Soft-hearted? Kind-hearted?"

Shea looked at Lin Gui with a hint of worry. In the dark ages, no good person ever had a good ending.

The flickering candlelight was reflected in her red eyes.

Moreover, Shia could tell that the other party didn't seem to intend to send it only this once.

Lin Gui was certainly not a pushover; if it weren't for the system binding, this would have been his last trip.

He couldn't bring himself to talk about the system, so he could only let Xia speculate.

With Shia by his side, Lin Gui left the slums and entered the civic district.

Compared to the filth and chaos of the slums, this area near the castle is much cleaner and tidier.

The stone path is smooth and flat, with carefully trimmed green plants on both sides.

Neat rows of small villas with stone bricks and red tiles, and the people coming and going are all dressed in fine clothes.

Even the servants' and waiters' clothes had no patches on them.

The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance, a stark contrast to the dusty smell of the slums.

"Sorry, we don't serve half-demons here."

"I'm sorry, Miss Shia is not welcome here."

"Sir, your attire does not meet our service requirements. We only serve guests dressed in Karu clothing."

"Halt, commoner. Only nobles are allowed to enter this place. Your footsteps will pollute the air."

......

After a series of setbacks, Lin Gui was extremely frustrated.

Xia was already used to it, but she was amused by Lin Gui's sullen appearance.

Her laughter was as clear and crisp as a wind chime.

"I think I understand why you don't have any friends anymore. Half-demons aren't welcome here... and poor people too."

Lin Gui pointed at himself and complained.

His clothes were indeed faded from washing, but they were very clean.

Even when he showed his silver adventure badge, the other party did not hide his disdain.

The waiter's eyes were filled with disdain, as if he were looking at something dirty.

"It's all settled. At least this city allows me to earn money and live here..."

As if recalling her experiences in other cities, a hint of sadness appeared in Shia's eyes.

Her fingers unconsciously twirled a strand of silver hair.

She smiled as she looked at Lin Gui.

"And, I also met you as a friend~"

"I'm actually quite happy, at least you're different from others, you're not afraid of my eyes."

Lin Gui rolled his eyes and said.

"I don't know what there is to be afraid of."

"I have half demon blood flowing through my veins~ which means I have a true demon blood relative."

Pointing to her eyes, Shia said earnestly.

"Besides, I quite like my demon father. He loves my mother, and he loves me too..."

"I was a homeless child who grew up in the slums, a filthy object in the mouths of nobles, someone who should be expelled according to the terms of the city-state's agreement..."

"Logically, you should also be suspicious, disgusted... just like them."

Lin Gui stopped and pointed to a local tycoon outside a luxury restaurant, where he was wantonly whipping a waiter.

The wealthy merchant's words were full of contempt. The reason he whipped the other man was because he had discovered a patch hidden deep inside the man's white shirt.

This is something only people from the slums would wear...

Shea smiled helplessly. A half-demon who could cause panic, and a poor man of humble birth.

They are simply incomparable.

"Alright, since the restaurant doesn't welcome us, I'll cook for you myself and let you taste my cooking."

"Huh??"