This time, I won't be the devil.

After being exposed, Stella no longer concealed it. She handed the newspaper hidden behind her back to Frey.

Frey took the paper, and the first thing that caught his eye was the date.

"Is this tomorrow's newspaper?"

"Well, this issue hasn't been released yet. Because it contains news about me, my agent got a copy from the newspaper in advance for me to check."

Open the newspaper and you will see the following news on the front page:

On December 12th, after discussions at the Governor's Conference, the Terra Federation decided to formally send troops to the Conflict Zone next year.

[The current President of the United States, Lyndon Johnson, said: "This is not a war, but a just action to end chaos, maintain peace, and defend democracy..."]

Between the four major powers of the Theocracy, the Federation, the Empire, and the Free Cities, there is an area with many small countries and a perennial war. That is the Conflict Zone.

As early as a hundred years ago, when the human camp was recovering lost territory, the Terra Federation wanted to bring this place into its sphere of influence, but due to the alliance to jointly resist the demons at that time, it was unable to take direct action due to the interference of several other countries.

In the past 40 years, after the threat of the demons was reduced, this land became a battleground for several major forces. The three major countries bordering it have successively fostered batches of agents, and the Hayek Consortium has also made a fortune from the war by reselling weapons and supplies.

And now, as the regime they supported in the conflict zone fell into a disadvantage, the Terra Federation, under the banner of peace and democracy, decided to personally step in to help.

This seems to be the reason why Governor Charles drove his mecha away from Bondolium, and why the military base was relatively unguarded.

"It's only been eight months since we defeated the demons, but a new war is about to break out among humans. Wouldn't the efforts of the brave hero and those heroes who sacrificed in the holy war be in vain?" Stella's tone was mixed with sadness, anger and confusion.

Unlike her, Frey was not surprised by the news of the Terra Federation sending troops.

The holy war is over, the demon king and the hero are both "dead", but the story does not end there, and human history continues.

After losing the common external enemy, the demons, the alliance between the human camps, which was originally in name only, completely disappeared.

It is not surprising that the Federation, whose strength is second only to the Theocracy, would take action in order to gain more say in the new world order.

Relying on the magic stone veins ceded from the demons, the leaders of various countries gained a lot of wealth and temporarily maintained peace, but new contradictions and problems also followed, such as the wave of layoffs in the maze city before.

Since this matter can be reported publicly, the Federation has probably already negotiated with several other countries, determined each other's bottom line and exchanged some interests.

For the Federation, this is a military operation to ensure the security of the buffer zone, divert domestic conflicts, and expand international influence.

But for the people living in the conflict zone, they will face a new catastrophe.

"Why can't people understand each other?" Stella suddenly said a line that is very suitable for a robot driver.

But she immediately shook her head and changed her words:

"I'm sorry, I said something that was beyond my capabilities. Even if I were asked this kind of question, it would only cause me trouble."

After saying that, Stella showed her business smile again.

"As an idol, I can't spread negativity. Oh, and what's the other question?"

Since the other party took the initiative to change the subject, Frey did not intend to continue to delve into it. He had something more important to ask.

"Hiro Usagi, do you know him?"

"It's very rude to ask a girl about another girl in front of her."

"It seems you two do know each other."

Facing Frey's retort, Stella seemed a little unhappy, but after all, it was something she had promised, and she didn't intend to go back on her word.

"I want to ask, what is your relationship with her?"

After thinking for a while, Stella replied meaningfully:

“We were born in the same place.”

So they are actually from the same hometown?

Just as Frey was about to continue asking questions, Stella waved him away.

"It's so late today, I'll go back first, bye."

Both she and Shiloh seemed to be deliberately avoiding topics related to each other.

After Stella left, Frey continued to read the newspaper.

Besides the articles on the front page about the Federation's troop deployment and the Fengling Festival, there was also this news item in the corner of the last page:

[The hero's former lover, Miss Midori, mysteriously disappeared and is suspected to have been kidnapped by cultists]

Considering that Midori had been missing for 5 days, it was not surprising that the news came out.

What caught Frey's attention was that the paper where the news was located was slightly wrinkled, as if it had been squeezed tightly for a long time.

This shows that Stella must have seen the news and took it very seriously.

According to Shiloh, her village was attacked by bandits three years ago, and it was the brave men who finally repelled the bandits.

Assuming that Stella and Shiloh are really from the same hometown, she probably received help from the hero.

So when faced with the news that the hero's ex-lover was kidnapped, it was obviously impossible for her to remain indifferent.

But in the conversation just now, Stella didn't mention this at all.

And when she turned to leave the terrace, Frey saw a hint of determination in her expression.

It's like I've made some kind of awareness.

There are still many suspicious points about Stella, and Frey decides to pay close attention to her for the next period of time.

Just as Frey was about to leave the terrace and return to his room to rest, he noticed a familiar figure appear at the hotel door.

That's Director Shylock of the Hayek Consortium.

Since Bondolium and Labyrinth City both fall under Sherlock's business jurisdiction, he naturally came to participate in the Wind Feather Festival.

He even came over to say hello when Frey and Didoris were having dinner together.

As early as their first meeting, Frey discovered that this supervisor was not an ordinary person.

[Name: Sherlock Smith]

[Race: Human]

【Level: 32】

[Soul Strength: 3.5]

[Occupation: Bounty Hunter]

[Attribute panel: Strength 30.7, Endurance 25.5, Agility 41.2, Magic 15.6]

Bounty Hunter is a special job that only those blessed by Hayek, the God of Wealth and Freedom, can possess.

This profession is characterized by flexible tactics, proficiency in the use of various props, and a persistent pursuit of "wealth".

Combining the intelligence collected so far, Frey believes that the Hayek Consortium, which wants to win next year's mayoral election, is likely to take advantage of this Wind Feather Festival to take action.

Therefore, Sherlock is also one of his key focuses.

At this time, Sherlock was not wearing his usual gorgeous peacock blue coat, but a simple black suit, carrying a huge briefcase in his hand, and wearing a round hat to cover his blond hair.

If it weren't for the shadow perception and identification, Frey almost didn't recognize him.

Sherlock looked around at the door for a while, and after confirming that no one noticed, he walked out quickly.

It's already 1 o'clock in the morning. Sneaking out in disguise at this time obviously means he has some secret intention.

Frey has always suspected that there are other forces behind the cultists, and at present the most suspicious one is the Hayek Consortium.

After weighing the pros and cons, Frey decided to follow secretly and take a look.

By the time he picked up his equipment and props and walked out of the hotel, Sherlock had already disappeared into the shadows.

For those who want to act secretly, the cover of night will become a natural shelter.

But the night was also Frey's home turf.

After activating shadow perception, he captured Sherlock in the distance.

Frey kept a distance of about one kilometer and followed Sherlock from a distance.

……

At the same time, in the northwest corner of Bondolimu, a dilapidated fishing boat was washed ashore by the black tide, and an old man with pale hair and beard and red skin climbed out of the cabin.

This place is called Liufeng Reef. Unlike the bustling urban area, it still retains the original style of an island fishing village. There are dilapidated huts made of wooden boards on the shore, and several fishing boats that look like they will fall apart at any time.

Today, the vast majority of people in Bondolim are immigrants from all over the place. The people living in Liufeng Reef are the real indigenous people, and now there are only a few hundred of them.

Starting 100 years ago, a group of indigenous people were unwilling to accept the rule of the Federation. And 40 years ago, when the Terra Federation decided to carry out large-scale development of the island, some indigenous people resolutely resisted and opposed the Federation's construction of an artificial island.

Since the Federation still needed them to hold the Wind Feather Festival to maintain the protection of the Wind God over the island, it did not take strong measures.

The final result of the struggle was that the federal government retained this small island in the northwest, and the indigenous people who were unwilling to accept urbanization could continue to make a living by fishing here.

But after the Fengling Festival ceremony was taken over by the city government, these islanders lost their last bit of united front value, and their activity area was strictly restricted.

Later, as the entire Bondolim city sewage was discharged to the northwest corner, offshore fishing became increasingly difficult. Most fishermen gave up their original tradition and went to the city to make a living, and the rest had to take the risk of going to the open sea.

"Old man, did you catch any fish this time?"

The old man did not answer the boy's question. His face showed a look of horror as if he had witnessed the end of the world.

"The storm is coming! The storm will come in a few days!"

In response to the old man's warning, the young man said:

"Old man, you're talking nonsense again. Since we have the protection of the wind god, there hasn't been a strong wind on our island. Even if there is a storm at sea, it will dissipate before it hits the island."

However, the old man continued to shout madly:

"You have lived in peace for too long and have forgotten the horror of the sea."

"The clown is singing, and its voice will drown out all other singing."

"The Wind God can't protect us this time!"

Chapter 54 The Missing Idol

After leaving the hotel, Sherlock walked westward. Although he maintained his walking posture, his pace was extremely fast. If it were an ordinary person, he would have been left behind long ago.

In Bondolim, the functions of different areas are clearly divided. The west area is where various entertainment industries are concentrated. The closer to the northwest, the more chaotic the public security becomes and the more unconventional the entertainment methods become.

When you first enter the West District, you'll see facilities like amusement parks, billiard rooms, theaters, and concert halls, which are basically closed at this time.