Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Chapter 519: Northern Stories

After all, it was not winter in Liyue, so Pantalone's office here was not actually that big. Measured in Liyue's units, it was only 26 feet long and 18 feet wide. In addition to the huge bookcases with rich collections of books and various small round tables, there were only a few dark leather chairs for entertaining guests.

Rather than an office, Famas prefers to call this a study. The phonograph in the corner of the room is turning slowly, and the elegant and mellow music flows in the small room with just the right volume. Considering the quiet dark-toned decoration style of the study, the slow music seems extremely stylish and oppressive.

This is especially true for debt collectors who are reporting on the progress of their tasks.

"If I understand correctly..."

After listening to the report, Pantalone leaned back in the velvet chair, tapped the edge of the sandalwood table with his index finger, and summarized the whole incident in a concise manner:

"You mean the experimental materials that the doctor sent to Inazuma had an accident and had to be sent to Xumi via the North Country Bank's secret line and then shipped from Omos Port to Inazuma?"

The banker's narrowed eyes made it impossible to tell his attitude, while the debt collector inspector lowered his head and spoke in an extremely humble tone.

"I'm very sorry, Master Pantalone. We really have no choice. Because of you, the border defense of Liyue Port has been strengthened fivefold, and the customs inspection of winter goods has been tightened. The damn Qianyan Army and Liyue Maritime Affairs Bureau even opened and turned over the cotton bags several times..."

"This batch of materials was ordered by the resistance forces of Haiji Island. They have had trading relations with the laboratory for nearly twenty years. If you break the contract now, I'm afraid that the resistance forces will put you on the list of untrustworthy people, and business will be difficult in the future... For the benefit of the Winter Country, I can only ask you for help now!"

The unknown debt collector lowered his posture even lower and bowed again towards Pantalone's position.

He was originally a field worker under the Fatui's second-in-command, "Doctor" Dotore, responsible for maintaining the transportation of materials to Liyue factories and laboratories. He had relatively broad powers, but the accidents that occurred during this transportation process were obviously beyond his control, so he had to seek help from the "rich".

Although the Fatui upper echelons are well aware of Tartaglia's actions, after all, it concerns the ownership of the Heart of God. The Young Master's action plan and intelligence are absolutely confidential to the ordinary soldiers of the Fatui, and even the Fatui's inspectors have no right to know.

It was not until Tartaglia awakened the sleeping demon and mobilized soldiers to attack the Jade Pavilion that the inspector in charge of maintaining the transportation of materials belatedly changed the transportation route. If it had not been for his quick reaction, the batch of materials traded by the doctor would have been intercepted and sealed by the bloodthirsty Thousand Rock Army.

"You've been in Inazuma for a long time, and you've learned the Inazuma people's etiquette of apology."

Hearing Dottore's name, Pantarone frowned, pondered for a moment, and then nodded reluctantly.

"Then let's send the goods directly to the port of Omos, and the route will be through the Tiangong Gorge south of the Layered Abyss." Pantalone thought for a moment and added, "If you can avoid going through Fu'ao Valley, don't go there. That's the entrance to the Layered Abyss, and there are more Thousand Rock Army patrolling there."

After all, Dotore is his partner, and helping his colleagues when necessary can also safeguard the interests of the Northland Bank.

Seeing that Pantalone agreed to help, the always humble debt collector supervisor finally breathed a sigh of relief, and spoke again with lingering fear: "What if we are discovered by the Thousand Rocks Army left behind in the Layered Abyss..."

"Do you need me to teach you this kind of thing?"

Pantalone raised his hand and rubbed his brow, deciding that after completing this field mission, he would go back and ask a certain slicing weirdo how he recruited these field staff.

"Make some disguise for the goods, stuff them into a drum, a box guitar or something else. If you encounter an emergency, stay calm, don't feel guilty and don't expose yourself. If you are discovered, just insist on not knowing anything. Don't worry, the Fatui will send someone to deal with it when the time comes."

"understand!"

The inspector obviously also heard Pantalone's impatience. The biggest problem at the moment had been solved. There was really no need for him to stay here and cause trouble for the executive officer. So after answering loudly, he left the study and prepared to do what Pantalone instructed.

After the debt collector inspector left the study, Famas turned around and waved the sticky cake in his hand towards Pantalone, asking if he wanted to try it. However, the big banker, who had just dealt with the idiot, obviously had no appetite and shook his head to reject Famas' kindness.

  He didn't expect that Famas would come back. He was about to ask about the confrontation between him and Morax, but the boy stuffed the last piece of bean cake into his mouth, patted the crumbs on his hands, and spoke vaguely:

"Hmm...if an emergency really happens, how will the Fatui handle it?

Perhaps because the two had reached a temporary contractual relationship, or perhaps because he had understood each other's temperament, Pantalone's attitude towards FAMAS became much more casual, and he even blinked at the boy innocently after hearing the question. "I'm really sorry, Mr. FAMAS, I'm not responsible for field missions... It's usually the job of Signora and Tartaglia to deal with the failure of the plan."

When Famas heard the names of the lady and the young man, he knew the consequences of a debt collector who failed to do his job well. He tilted his head and asked like Pantalone, "I thought you were a good person?"

“I didn’t expect you to have such pure values.”

Pantarone shrugged his shoulders and pretended to be surprised, as if he had heard a funny joke.

"I just provided a solution to the poor guy who asked for help. I didn't do anything except talk... Compared to my colleagues who kill people without blinking an eye, I can be called a good person."

"If you were a really good person you wouldn't be involved in smuggling."

Famas cleared his throat, put his arm on the long, solid table, and looked over to where Pantalone was sitting mysteriously. "By the way, what are you smuggling?"

"…It's a half-finished artificial God's Eye. Inazuma is still executing the Eye Hunting Order, and many forces in the country are fighting each other. Even an extinguished God's Eye is incredibly expensive, let alone an artificial object with no usage restrictions."

Pantalone answered FAMAS's doubts calmly, and FAMAS realized in an instant that the experimental materials transported by the doctor might be the evil eye that the Inazuma resistance would use in the future.

However, before he could ask more questions, there was a gentle knock on the side door of the study, and the butler Russell appeared with two fried steak sandwiches and coffee.

The old butler spread out the white tablecloth draped over his arm and placed one of the dishes in front of Pantalone.

The other one is naturally from Famas.

According to Zhidong's schedule, it was now breakfast time. Although Famas had already finished the pastries that Baizhu had given him and had scattered the crumbs all over the table, he still told the butler in advance that he wanted the same breakfast as Pantalone.

Russell then served this nutritionally balanced meal, with sweet and soft bread sandwiched with crispy and juicy cutlets, and the slightly sweet and sour sauce was the key to avoiding a greasy taste.

"Thank you for your hard work, Russell."

Pantalone sat at the dining table and nodded reservedly to the butler.

"Master, this is what I should do."

Russell responded very humbly, then stepped behind Pantalone and waited for instructions.

Pantalone was obviously accustomed to the presence of the butler. He picked up the coffee and took a sip. In an instant, the rich aroma and faint bitterness filled his mouth.

But Famas was not in a hurry to enjoy the meal, but instead turned his gaze to the butler behind Pantalone.

Ordinary people can control elemental forces through the evil eye and briefly possess the power of the chosen ones, but the price is the rapid consumption of body functions. Untrained mortals can even go from a vigorous and energetic middle age to a frail old age within a day, until they burn out like fireworks.

This kind of damage is difficult to avoid and extremely difficult to reverse. Even if one escapes the horror of life-sucking, unnatural aging will leave a person with countless diseases.

Just like the butler behind Pantalone.