Lin Gui held up the crude paper megaphone.
One by one, he called out the names that the butler had compiled and marked as "rebels."
His voice seemed a bit thin in the clamorous casino.
But the content was like a series of cold chisels, striking at the hearts of some.
At first, there were jeers and curses.
But as more names were called and the details became increasingly specific—even personal—the entire casino gradually fell silent.
Only the faint, occasional roll of dice and the sound of heavy breathing remained.
A dead silence, mixed with suspicion, anger, and unease, enveloped the entire space.
Lin Gui looked around at the various expressions and was about to start another round of shouting.
Just then, he felt a gentle tap on his back.
He turned around, but it wasn't Saintess Eve.
Instead, it was an extremely scantily clad dancer.
She had curly golden hair and thick makeup that almost completely masked her original features.
She wore only gauze and sequins that barely covered the essentials.
Large patches of snow-white skin were exposed to the foul air.
At this moment, the expression on her face was extremely complex.
A mixture of hesitation, shame, and a tiny, almost extinguished spark of hope.
Her lips moved several times before she managed to let out a small sound.
"I... I'm Anita... I used to... used to sell flowers in the south of the city... They all called me 'Sparrow'..."
Lin Gui gave her overly "provocative" attire a look, his gaze calm and steady.
Yet, it was this calm scrutiny that made Anita—long accustomed to all kinds of gazes and having discarded all pride to survive—feel a sudden, burning sense of embarrassment.
She subconsciously shielded her exposed waist and chest with her arms.
She lowered her head slightly, her face full of shame.
Lin Gui didn't say much; he simply followed the procedure, asking her several questions for identification.
Such as characteristics of her hometown and the names of her family members.
Anita answered them one by one in a low voice, her tone carrying an imperceptible tremble.
After confirmation, Lin Gui reached into his worn messenger bag.
He precisely pulled out a letter with slightly frayed edges and handed it over.
Then, he produced stationery and a charcoal pencil, thrusting them into Anita's hands as he urged her in a flat tone.
"Please write your reply quickly. I still have letters to deliver at the mine later; I'm in a hurry."
Anita took the letter and pen blankly, her mind momentarily failing to keep up as she asked instinctively,
"How... how much is it?"
Lin Gui gave her a strange look. "7-Copper."
"7... 7-Copper?"
Anita snapped her head up, seemingly remembering something.
She looked at Lin Gui in disbelief, her voice shifting pitch.
"You... you... you're that messenger mage from Caran? You're the Black-Feathered Raven?"
Lin Gui looked at her speechlessly.
"Since you know about me and that there are letters from Caran, why didn't you go to the post office to claim them?"
Anita covered her face awkwardly with her hands, her voice muffled as it came through her fingers.
"We... many of us thought it was a lie made up by the Defense Force to catch us..."
"And we don't really go to the Seventh Ring..."
Her voice trailed off, filled with a hint of bitterness.
For rebels like them, who primarily operated in the commoner district and underground, the refugee district of the Seventh Ring was too desperate and chaotic. People there used all their strength just to stay alive.
It could provide none of the help or resources they needed.
The rebels' strength primarily came from commoners with a little to spare but a heart full of grievances, as well as those unruly adventurers.
Anita's initiative to identify herself and her receipt of the letter broke the silence and skepticism maintained by the rebels.
A nearby rebel couldn't resist stepping forward several paces, staring at Lin Gui with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Are you... are you really here to deliver letters?"
Lin Gui looked back at him as if looking at an idiot, his tone carrying unconcealed mockery.
"What else? What else would I be doing here?"
"Gambling? Drinking? Watching a striptease? Wallowing in degeneracy? Or plotting a rebellion like you lot?"
He paused, then added an even more lethal comment.
"If I had that kind of free time, I'd rather head to the upper district and carry out some terrorist attacks to blow up a few nobles for fun. That would be much more practical."
These words left the rebel red-faced and speechless.
Subconsciously, many people's gazes flicked to Elvia, who was standing nearby with an equally colorful expression.
A high-ranking noble, a royal princess.
Elvia's mouth twitched violently. She took a deep breath and called out to the crowd below the stage.
"What are you all looking at me for? Don't worry, he's on my side."
"He's got a screw loose, but he's really here to deliver letters! If your name was just called, come up and get it! Don't waste time!"
She clearly had some prestige among the rebels.
At the very least, many were well aware that this Seventh Princess was, in a way, "one of them."
With Elvia's endorsement and Anita's living example, the hesitant atmosphere began to break.
Soon, gamblers, drunks, and rebel members with flickering gazes stepped forward one after another.
They hesitantly took the letters belonging to them from Lin Gui's hand.
The initial doubt and vigilance in their eyes crumbled instantly.
Their hands trembled as they tore open the envelopes and saw the familiar handwriting.
When they read about the trivial matters or worries that only they and their families would know, they were overwhelmed.
"It's... it's my mother's handwriting! She... she's still alive! She says she moved to Caran!"
"My sister wrote this! She says she got married to a carpenter who treats her well..."
"Dad... Dad's leg injury has healed... He told me... told me not to worry..."
Murmurs, choked with sobs, rose from the crowd.
Skepticism was replaced by excitement; the glow of humanity reappeared on previously numb faces.
Some people's eyes grew red, while others gripped their stationery tightly as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Afterward, their gazes toward the black-haired mage on stage changed completely.
They were filled with gratitude, confusion, and an imperceptible hint of awe.
A rebel who evidently frequented the Seventh Ring and was better informed couldn't help but shout the question on everyone's mind.
"Why?! Why would you do this... What are you after?!"
What was he after?
Naturally, it was the mana rewards and magic proficiency from completing the system quest.
Of course, Lin Gui couldn't say that.
He looked at the faces below the stage, mixed with tears, excitement, and incomprehension.
He simply shrugged casually and spoke in a nonchalant tone:
"What am I after? I'm doing it for my own satisfaction."
"Alright! Hurry up! I still have letters to deliver at the mine."
"In three days, I'll be heading to the Fortress City of Shield. If anyone wants to send a letter there, you can give it to me—7-Copper per letter!"
"In about two or three months, I'll be heading back to Caran City and will deliver your replies to your respective families."
Hearing Lin Gui's words, those who had just received letters spoke urgently to those around them.
"A pen! Does any brother have a pen I can borrow?!"
"Paper! I have extra paper here! If you need some, come get it!"
"Thank goodness, my eldest son is alive!"
An unprecedented vitality was injected back into this casino, which had been thick with the scent of degeneracy.
Rate on N.U.
