Cave Refuge

At first, I actually wondered if you were joking, but you mentioned Rivermarch Province. You know, back in the day, I also made it across a narrow bridge through an army of thousands.

Even though I was a bit wild during that vacation, I still had some impression of the name Rivermarch. It didn't take long to think of the source, but the source that came to mind wasn't a geography book, it was a history book.

Then I remembered the three major battles back then, including the Rivermarch Campaign.

You see, whether it's the eight-year resistance war or the ten-year civil war, most of the significant battles along the way were named after the geographic locations where they took place.

So when you said you came from Rivermarch Province, even though I had some doubts, after thinking of the name Rivermarch Campaign, I convinced myself that maybe Rivermarch Province was just a smaller province, so I didn't pay particular attention to its location on the map."

Dong Tianyu just stood there, somewhat awkwardly listening to Robinson William and Grayson Todd catching up.

Just as Dong Tianyu was about to interrupt their reminiscing, maybe Robinson William noticed Dong Tianyu felt somewhat awkward, so he directly changed the subject: "Grayson Todd, how do you know Zachary?"

Hearing Robinson William ask this, Grayson Todd reacted with a bit of surprise: "You two know each other?"

"You're asking about Zachary and me? Of course, we know each other. Zachary and my sister Madeline are not just sworn siblings, but when the Natural Disaster first descended, our families lived in the same apartment building, and we've been supporting each other ever since."

Grayson Todd knew Robinson William's personality very well, so after hearing what he said, he subconsciously asked again, "Really?"

In response to Grayson Todd's skepticism, Robinson William pretended to be somewhat angry: "This is something you'd know if you looked it up. Do I need to lie to you about it? And besides, what do I gain from lying to you about such a thing?"

Although Grayson Todd knew that the anger Robinson William showed was feigned, he still spoke up to explain: "I know you're not lying to me; I just find it a bit hard to believe."

Alright, cut the act. In your relationship with her, I can tell whether your fart is dry or wet with just a sniff.

Alright, with you here, I won't beat around the bush anymore; I'll just speak plainly.

You should know about my identity in the Tiger Guard, and you should also understand the Tiger Guard's duties. This time some idiot from the Imperial Court's Staff Department made a mess for no reason.

His boss once taught him: in the system, the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make. Do nothing, and you make no mistakes, but he didn't listen. He had to prove his capability, and this compulsory conscription order you've received is his doing.

Look at this mess he made by showing off. In principle, this mess has nothing to do with me, but since I'm a member of the Tiger Guard from the Twelve Zodiac, so, sigh... Too much said would just be tears."

The reason why Dong Tianyu does not want to enter officialdom is that he can't stand those people in the administration, who never like to speak straightforwardly. They always imply things indirectly, beating around the bush, talking about all sorts of nonsense.

They like others to second-guess the meaning behind their words. If you get it right and do things well, they think it's normal. But as soon as something unexpected happens, they can extricate themselves because it wasn't their fault but their subordinates' for misinterpreting their words.

It's not clear whether Robinson William's personality is naturally similar to Dong Tianyu's or if it's because Robinson William's military background makes him dislike the way Grayson Todd speaks. So he simply cuts in:

"Enough, Grayson Todd, stop beating around the bush. Zachary is one of us. No matter the relationship between our two families or between him and me, we're all on the same side. If you have something to say, just say it. Stop going in circles. It's giving me a headache."

Hearing Robinson William's straightforward response, Grayson Todd first gave him a deep look as if questioning whether what Robinson William just said was merely lip service.

After confirming that Robinson William was genuinely willing to vouch for Dong Tianyu's character, he turned his head to Dong Tianyu and found that Dong Tianyu faced the situation very calmly, without showing any guilty expressions. Only after heaving a deep sigh did Grayson Todd open his mouth to speak:

"Do you think I like to beat around the bush with these words? Isn't that just something I picked up from my colleagues and superiors? Although those words sound simple, whoever clarifies them will have to take responsibility."

Even if that matter had nothing to do with him, just by saying a word, should any issue arise—as long as he has said something—he would be deemed to bear joint liability.

So in order not to be blamed, this kind of speaking habit has gradually developed internally, like the Analects which once had no punctuation marks; the same piece of text could be interpreted with completely opposite meanings by different people."

Facing Grayson Todd's complaints, Robinson William simply waved his hand: "Alright, I know you're in a tough spot. Didn't I just say it? Put your grips aside for now, let's talk about the real issue at hand. Why have you come here at this time? Of course, if it involves confidential content, you're not required to say, but at least give us a heads-up."

Hearing Robinson William speak this way, Grayson Todd realized that Robinson William was not as easily fooled as before. Thinking that his mission here does not involve any secrecy, he stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point: "Actually, as I mentioned earlier, the purpose of my visit is just what you've deemed too lengthy to listen to attentively.

Now, I'll put it simply once more; the chaos this time in Magic City was caused by an idiot in the Staff Department."

After detecting a problem in Magic City, the Imperial Court immediately began internal accountability. Externally, since the issue was discovered, it would have been sufficient for the Chicken Guard to come and handle Magic City's internal issues.

But who would have thought this affair would involve an invasion by Otherworldly Creatures and the entire Magic Capital Base going dark, hence the Tiger Guard was promptly deployed, and here I am."

Just as Grayson Todd was about to shift the conversation to other matters, Robinson William's expression changed slightly, after which he promptly said: "Grayson Todd, I didn't deceive you. Whether it's between the Thompson Family and the Taylor family, or between me and Dong Tianyu, we have a friendship deep enough to stake our lives on. Such a bond could be regarded as 'families linked by marriage' in ancient times.

You're a true Imperial Capital dweller; you must know full well what these four words mean. I still don't know you well enough; with your usual habit of speaking only a third of your mind, you must be keeping something from us now. If it's not confidential, can't you just speak frankly!"

Seeing Robinson William speaking to this extent, Grayson Todd reflected carefully on his mission this time, confirming there was nothing that needed to be kept secret, and eventually spoke somewhat helplessly:

"Fine, you win. I'll tell you everything I can right now.

The most important purpose of my visit is, of course, cleaning up this mess blown out of proportion by that Staff Department's fool and soothing the emotions of the remaining survivors in the Magic Capital Base.

I'll let you in on a secret—don't tell others—the Magic Capital Base has suffered considerable losses, whether it's the Officials or individuals.

Therefore, the Imperial Court is prepared to provide certain compensation. Of course, such compensation cannot simply be distributed under the name of compensation.

Considering there were actually not many casualties in Magic City despite the disaster, after much discussion, in the end, everyone registered as residents of Magic City will be given an additional battle reward.

As the number of beneficiaries is large, to satisfy the majority, the Imperial Court's compensation will disregard status and ensure fairness by treating all registered residents equally—the standards for all compensation will be completely uniform."

Hearing Grayson Todd say this, both Dong Tianyu and Robinson William showed expressions of disbelief, as no one had expected the Imperial Court to go to such lengths.

However, after listening to Grayson Todd's explanation of the compensation details, the two understood what 'old ginger is hotter than new'. It was precisely for this reason that Dong Tianyu and Robinson William were willing to believe that the Imperial Court truly intended to offer genuine silver as compensation.