Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 322 - 263: Trouble at the Tesser Refugee Camp_1

Chapter 322: Chapter 263: Trouble at the Tesser Refugee Camp_1

On and off the stage, men and women, young and old, the crowd buzzed into a frenzy, also erupting into a heated argument.

Somehow, Ghost Grape Wine had acquired the additional feature of beautifying and nourishing the skin.

Having stepped backstage with Regina, Gaven couldn’t help asking, "Was this your idea, to add it in?"

"This is not the false advertising you mentioned. Take a good look—hasn’t my skin become more radiant and more elastic than before?" Regina asked with a smile while leaning her stunning face forward.

Just as Gaven was about to scrutinize her closely, Regina laughed and backed away, "You actually believed it!"

"So is it there or not?" Gaven was left somewhat perplexed by Regina.

"You could say it is, or you could say it isn’t," Regina explained. "It’s not particularly noticeable on ordinary women, but for those with more pronounced masculine features, it does indeed work wonders."

"It suppresses the secretion of male hormones?" Gaven was stunned—negative energy had this effect?

"Male hormones? What are those?"

"What about men? After drinking it, is there a tendency to become feminized?" Gaven hastily inquired, worried that if he ended up with a bunch of androgynous individuals, his Weizemay Manor would be doomed.

"No, such an effect has not been noted. However, it’s true that excessive drinking can lead to a prolonged low body temperature, so our recommendation is to limit oneself to no more than one glass of Ghost Grape Wine per day. Drink more at your own risk."

Regina obviously didn’t carry the same psychological burden as Gaven, "My plan here has been fully set in motion. Not only is the entire Valley echoing with the sound of Heather Leaf knocking on windows, but over in Sambia, I’ve hired ten renowned Wandering Opera Troupes. They are performing in cities one by one, guaranteeing at least three shows each day. By the end of this month, I assure you the whole of Sambia will recognize the name of Ghost Grape Wine and know that Weizemay Manor is reopening."

"I’ve already felt that impact," Gaven acknowledged, nodding earnestly. "Miss Regina, you’re naturally cut out for this. Entrusting you with this task was the best decision I ever made."

It is said some people are exceptionally gifted.

And it couldn’t be denied.

Regina hadn’t studied advertising or marketing systematically, but everything she did fell right in line with these disciplines. She had firmly grasped various key points such as human curiosity, women’s attention to their appearance, and the direction of public opinion for propaganda.

Ever since Gaven landed on his feet, he had come to fully realize the power of saturated, carpet-like advertising.

Even the most homebound housewives were well-informed about Heather Leaf knocking on windows, speaking of nothing but Ghost Manor Weizemay and Ghost Grape Wine. How could the more informed merchants be unaware? How could they not be greatly moved?

To make money off these merchants, a market had to exist.

Now that Regina had carved out the entire market, anyone with clear vision knew this was a surefire, profitable venture. How could the merchants not flock to it like moths to a flame?

The current bustle of Black Feather Bridge was closely linked to Weizemay Manor and Ghost Grape Wine.

The merchants were preparing for the Ghost Grape Wine auction on the first of the next month. Traveling up the Ashaba River from Black Feather Bridge was the best route to Weizemay Manor.

Carrying large sums of cash to Weizemay Manor for the auction would be the most undesirable deal.

Thorough preparation to sell goods at the Ghost Grape Wine Auction, or to directly trade with Weizemay Manor for Ghost Grape Wine, would be the most cost-effective business.

Especially since, thanks to Regina and Mr. Darnell spreading the word, the most prepared item among those goods was food.

"Since I’ve taken the benefits, of course I have to achieve some results; otherwise, I wouldn’t feel comfortable holding onto that money," Regina said, unable to conceal her pride, which was far more gratifying to her than simple compliments on her beauty. "How are your preparations coming along?"

"Before I came out, I felt that my side was pretty much ready," Gaven said with a wry smile. "But after seeing the scale of what Miss Regina has done, I feel I still have a long way to go, especially regarding safety."

Business opportunities come with troubles.

When those merchants understood the value hidden within Weizemay Manor, those bandits and thieves who favor unjust gains naturally became aware as well.

Humans die for money as birds die for food.

When the profit is substantial, even banks are robbed.

Not to mention, before all this, Gaven was a virtually nameless figure in the Valley.

Those ruthless bandits and Thief Guilds wouldn’t take notice of him—trouble knocking on his door was only a matter of time.

Perhaps it had already arrived.

"Whether we can hold out until the first of next month or not, by that time, not only will I be able to bring a group to cheer and shout, but Mr. Darnell should also come in person," Regina asked with concern.

After all, she had a vested interest—one counted in hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins.

"There shouldn’t be much of a problem, but it’s always unsettling not to be there to watch over things personally. Can we settle matters quickly on our end?" Gaven steered the conversation to his greatest concern.

Gaven wasn’t too afraid of a few petty bandits.

The infamy of Weizemay Manor for being haunted was, if anything, greater than before without being tamed—it wouldn’t end well for anyone except powerful beings like Transcendent Holy Knights or Transcendent Priests who visited.

That said, such individuals would hardly stoop to such actions. They had plenty of above-board ways to accumulate wealth swiftly.

What Gaven truly dreaded were those ruthless gangs and Thief Guilds, which might vent their frustration on the Demi-Humans of Anbao Boat Village if their plans were thwarted.

"That..." Regina’s expression darkened. "The situation might be more troublesome than we anticipated."

"What’s happened?" Gaven’s expression changed slightly as he pressed, "Are those Thacel refugees reluctant to move again? Or have they gotten into armed conflicts with the locals?"

Compared to the former possibility, Gaven was more worried about the latter.

If it were the former, he had many solutions to think of. As a group of refugees, they definitely had no deep ties to their homeland; the only issues were inadequate benefits or concerns about safety and survival.

If it were the latter, that would be more troublesome.

Especially under bloody circumstances, even if those Thacel refugees were willing to go with him, the local residents had to be willing too.

But judging by the atmosphere in Good Fortune Village, it didn’t seem to be in a state of war.

"It’s neither— it’s more troublesome than that," said Regina, leading Gaven towards the stables, "Let’s talk as we walk..."

By the time the group arrived at the Thacel Refugee Camp at the foot of Good Fortune Tooth Mountain Range, Regina had already given Gaven a rough introduction to the situation.

This Thacel Refugee Camp was only five kilometers away from Good Fortune Village in a straight line, but by horse, it was a full fifteen kilometers because they had to go around the Good Fortune Tooth Mountain Range.

It was located at the crossroads of the Good Fortune Tooth Mountain Range, Comanso Forest, and the Cold Lands.

It was also at the junction of three valleys: Battle Valley, Feather Wing Valley, and Tillage Valley.

The only somewhat well-known landmark here was the Mage Tower of Good Fortune Tooth.

It was the same Mage Tower that Gaven had participated in auctioning at the Ghost Manor Auction before, the one that failed to sell.

Owing to its remote location, before these Thacel refugees arrived, it had been an area with no jurisdiction whatsoever.

Those Thacel refugees who stayed here probably did so because of this exact reason. As long as they didn’t commit evil deeds outside, no one would come to claim ownership over this place or disturb their lives.

This Thacel Refugee Camp had been here for some years now. The first group of Thacel refugees who arrived here did so ten years ago when there were only a few dozen people.

As more Thacel refugees joined intermittently, the population here had now exceeded five hundred, and there were more rather than fewer.

It was more fitting to call it a rudimentary mountain village than a refugee camp.

"So you mean, you suspect the disappearance of refugees from the camp is related to the Mage Tower of Good Fortune Tooth? What is the reason for this suspicion?"

The trouble Regina mentioned was not caused by the Thacel refugees getting into trouble, but rather trouble had come to this place.

Recently, there had been a massive disappearance of people, with nearly fifty individuals missing in less than half a month. Under compulsion, the camp’s leader sought help from Lord Ilmet of Battle Valley and hoped he could send someone to assist in the investigation.

If they could not solve this problem, even if Gaven spoke eloquently, these refugees would not abandon their loved ones with uncertain fates to follow him to the Three Rivers Region.

"More than fifty people is no small number, especially since the Thacel Refugee Camp is not an ordinary village. Among them are many old soldiers, especially their leader, a strong warrior. The continuous abduction of people right under his nose only has one possibility: the use of magic.

It’s very coincidental that before these disappearances started occurring, someone from Good Fortune Village had just seen a Red Robe Mage enter the Mage Tower of Good Fortune Tooth and then no one ever saw him come out again," explained Regina, "You must have heard of the evil of the Red Robe Mages. Selling humans is one of their main industries, and when you put the two events together, it seems unlikely to be a mere coincidence."

"Why are you certain it’s human action, not a powerful predator preying on them? Especially those predators from Ether or the Shadow Plane, silently taking away victims is not that difficult," Gaven raised another question.

"Before coming here, I had already asked a Prophecy Mage to divine the situation, and it seems those who disappeared have not died," Regina was clearly prepared, "Those predators don’t leave survivors, and the only ones who do are slave traders."

"Like you said, if they really took people into the Mage Tower of Good Fortune Tooth, how did they transport the victims?" Gaven had not ruled out the possibility of using a Teleportation Spell.

But as soon as the thought emerged, he dismissed it himself.

As a joke, even among the Red Robe Mages, a Transcendent Archmage capable of using a Teleportation Spell couldn’t be so common as to come out and kidnap people for trade.

They could easily craft a top-quality magic item and earn profits worth selling thousands of people.

Either it wasn’t done by a Red Robe Mage, or if it was, it definitely had to be a low-ranking one, or possibly an apprentice.

"This has to do with another legend about the Mage Tower of Good Fortune Tooth. It’s said that the Mage Tower is built over an entrance to the Dark Domain, and beneath it lies an ancient Dwarves Elf fortress. The abducted refugees might temporarily be housed in this underground fortress, or they may have already been sold to the Dark Domain. That’s the issue we need to clarify here." Regina shared all the intelligence she had in her hands.

There was one thing she hadn’t mentioned, though. That was when she had consulted with this familiar Prophecy Mage.

Apart from seeking information about the disappeared, the mage also divined the outcome of their journey.

The result was that everything was shrouded in an unknowable mist.

This time, the prophecy had piqued the mage friend’s curiosity, and after repeated study and comparison, all directions pointed to this young man named Gaven Nort.

He seemed to be enveloped by an invisible force, and everything about him was unprophesiable.

Even the future of the Three Rivers Region and Weizemay Manor, as well as the future of Battle Valley, seemed to be enshrouded in mist because of his arrival.

This Half-Elf had been labeled by her friend as a maker of chaos and an unpredictable person. Henceforth, if it involved him, it was not worth the effort to divine, for it would be impossible.

Her friend warned Regina repeatedly to stay away from this person.

For if she got too close to him, she might very well disrupt her own fate, turning her future into the unknown as well.

Yet such warnings not only failed to serve as a wake-up call but instead aroused a greater curiosity in Regina, who couldn’t help but reassess the Half-Elf in front of her.