Next, Lester explained to Violet and her two companions what he knew about the causes and consequences of the incident.
Naturally, Lester’s version differed somewhat from Lilya’s.
It’s not to say that one side is absolutely closer to the truth than the other, but as a local and the leader of a large mercenary and adventurer group, Lester’s sources of information were naturally different from those of Her Majesty the Queen. His information came from firsthand observation and reports from his subordinates, much of which could be mere hearsay.
On Miss Lilya’s side, the government collected information through various means, verifying its authenticity as much as possible to ensure accuracy, but it might not be complete.
If one were to put it simply, the latter is akin to an officially revised history, while the former is closer to unofficial accounts.
To Lilya, the initial cause of this incident might have been the abduction of the Moon Shadow offsprings by that poaching group. However, Lester, who had been living here for over a year, believed that the grudge between the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains and the human race had been long-standing, and this incident was just an opportunity for it to erupt completely.
The key issue lies in poaching.
In the underground black market of Demon Suppression City, there are at least three or four major poaching groups and countless small to medium-sized poaching organizations operating rampantly.
They periodically infiltrate the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, capturing various magical creature offspring or females that fit human aesthetic standards. After training them, they sell them at high prices through underground auctions and shops to wealthy dignitaries and merchants from all over.
Especially in recent years, such theft has become more rampant, to the extent that there have even been cases of human organizations forcefully invading magical creature villages, plundering and killing, and then fleeing before powerful magical beings arrive.
Although the official stance of the Human United Kingdom does not involve or direct such activities, in reality, the local government turns a blind eye to the poachers lurking in the shadows of Demon Suppression City. Even if they conduct searches, it’s merely for show, and those who are a bit clever won’t be caught so easily.
Because these poaching groups only target non-humans and never harm humans.
On one hand, it’s because doing so would, in the true sense, violate the laws of the kingdom, leaving them with no place to stay. On the other hand, in terms of physical qualities, humans are indeed inferior to many magical creatures.
If one wants a beautiful pet, there are many magical creatures in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains that resemble humans in appearance but have even more outstanding looks, endurance, and resistance to aging, or are of races with more gentle and easily trainable personalities. There’s no need to go through the trouble of trying to please humans.
As for things like gladiatorial performances or providing meat for consumption, it goes without saying that this involves extremely cruel and dark practices, something even rough men like Lester find hard to discuss.
So, ultimately, the tolerance of the high-level authorities in Demon Suppression City is indispensable for the development of poaching groups to their current stage.
Perhaps from the human perspective, the fact that magical creatures have reached this point just because of a offspring seems arrogant, rough, and unreasonable, but for the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, it’s unbearable and no longer tolerable.
Likewise, this factor is definitely not something the high-level authorities in Demon Suppression City would report to Queen Lilya.
The concept of racial discrimination is deeply ingrained in the Human United Kingdom. Violet witnessed it more than once during her time in the Courage City, and even someone like Lilya, as a member of the royal family, is subject to it, let alone the lower class.
“I see...”
Violet nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder the remnants of those poaching groups disappear without a trace as soon as they enter the borders of the kingdom. Perhaps, the actual controllers of the Northern Territories of the Human United Kingdom are deliberately sheltering them.
With even more conspiratorial thoughts, perhaps this incident was secretly instigated by certain individuals at the highest levels of the kingdom.
The reasons could be various. For example, coveting the mythical powers said to be bestowed upon that offspring by a divine blessing, or not wanting such a powerful presence to appear in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, or even intentionally provoking a war to further suppress the magical creatures and gain profit from poaching.
It’s no wonder the reaction from the magical creatures was surprisingly intense, to the extent that even the three major pillars joined forces. For them, perhaps it’s already a matter of life and death.
Indeed, many things are completely insufficient when viewed from just one aspect and angle.
But this is just speculation as well. Not everything Lester knows necessarily represents the truth. He still needs to take things step by step.
“Well, Uncle Lester, with things getting to this point, hasn’t the Adventurers Guild issued any missions to investigate or capture poaching groups? After all, such criminal activities are against ethics. This incident can’t possibly have no impact on them now that it’s been brought to light, right?”
The Adventurers Guild and the kingdom’s officials are not tightly integrated. The former mainly operates based on commissions and tasks dispatched by the headquarters. Strictly speaking, it belongs to civilian forces. Even the official authorities of Demon Suppression City cannot overly interfere with the actions of adventurers.
“We did have such missions, quite a few in fact. But what’s the use? This is Demon Suppression City, where the emphasis is on sealing demons, not on humans. The poaching groups have deep roots in this city, and their network of relationships has even spread to the highest levels of government. Even if there are adventurers who want to root them out, it’s a waste of time and effort. At most, they can catch a few peripheral small fry. If you insist on delving deeper...”
Lester made a gesture of cutting his throat, then shook his head with a look of deep concern.
“The waters here are too deep. Anyone who wades in will be drowned and never found.”
“Wow, that’s scary!”
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“Who says it isn’t? What’s even more outrageous is that the higher-ups keep throwing investigation missions at the Adventurers Guild, but when it comes down to actual execution, they drag their feet, secretly hindering us. In the end, they blame us adventurers for not doing our job well and escalate the situation further.”
At this point, he looked around cautiously, making sure there was no one eavesdropping, before whispering in a voice only audible to those present.
“Miss Violet, I’m telling you this because you’re different. I wouldn’t say this to anyone else. If you really want to intervene in this matter, you can’t trust the official authorities of Demon Suppression City. Have you heard of the legendary adventurer team, the 【Reaper’s Scythe】? They took on a mission before, collaborated with the army, and raided a poaching group’s stronghold at night. Guess what happened...”
“Yeah, what happened?”
“Hey, they didn’t catch many poachers, but inside the underground caverns, they found them filled with illegally modified berserk magic crystal cores! The 【Reaper’s Scythe】 led the charge, and not long after they rushed in, there was a big explosion inside, and...”
Lester didn’t continue, but with the conversation reaching this point, even someone as slow as Theresa understood what he meant.
The young girl’s face was full of shock, and she instinctively jumped up from the sofa.
“Captain Uncle, are you suggesting that the army betrayed...”
“Shh!”
Quickly making a gesture to hush her, Lester hastily stopped her.
“I’m only telling you this because of Miss Violet’s presence, and because of Cyril’s previous offense. Just understand it and keep quiet about it, alright, little missy?”
Violet awkwardly patted Theresa’s shoulder, signaling her to sit back down.
“Sorry about her. She’s inexperienced and easily startled.”
“Sigh, it’s quite evident... Of course, I hope you all don’t get involved in this matter. It’s best to enjoy yourselves and leave Demon Suppression City as soon as possible. It won’t be peaceful here for long...”
After exchanging some information and catching up, Violet and her two companions bid farewell to Lester and left the headquarters of the Black Knights Mercenary Group.
Although the enthusiastic captain Uncle expressed a desire to invite them for dinner, Violet had already made plans to meet with Leila, Rene, and Edwina after dark, so she politely declined.