After making up his mind, Ron didn't rush. Instead, he shifted his attention to the other eight pieces of intelligence. It was still early morning, and even if he was anxious, it wouldn't help. It was better to plan carefully first.
"A stone house? That's just what I need right now," Ron nodded to himself. The weather had been cooling down recently, and it might rain. This little broken house was not only drafty but also had a roof that he had barely covered with thatch, which wouldn't last long. Most importantly, there were magical beast tracks outside Hippo Town, and it was too dangerous for him to continue living here.
Ron planned to move out tomorrow. He didn't have many things anyway, just a small iron pot and some daily necessities.
"Ah? What's this about Barto?" When he saw the second and third pieces of intelligence, Ron was stunned. He had set the trap and soaked the animal trap in fecal water beforehand, indeed intending to kill Barto. But to be fair, the chance of killing Barto with just a trap was actually not very high. At most, it would break one of his legs and cause him some pain.
But now, looking at the intelligence, it seemed that the old bastard might really be killed because of this?
"Proper treatment... Wait, that stingy old man Barto, he probably didn't seek medical treatment, did he?" Ron's face became a bit strange, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
"Ha, Barto is really courting death. If he really drags it to a severe infection, unless he can find a priest or a mage to treat him, otherwise..."
"Even amputation may not be able to save his life."
On the divine continent, in addition to the most common fighting spirit, there were other extraordinary powers. The priests, as religious clergy who believed in deities, could receive divine blessings. Using the power of the deities, they could dispel disasters and cure injuries for believers. The mages, as the name suggests, were people who used magic. Among them, some mages were skilled at preparing magical potions and were respectfully called mage pharmacists.
If there were extraordinary people from these two professions to treat Barto, they would definitely be able to cure him. But unfortunately, as far as Ron knew, it was basically impossible for Barto to hire such people with his status. So, Ron was somewhat gloating, hoping that Barto would really die.
However, when he looked at the fourth, fifth, and sixth pieces of intelligence, face turned gloomy, and anger surged.
"That bitch Mirraf, she actually embezzled sixty silver coins? Damn it!" Ron's eyes twitched, thinking of an old saying he had heard before. "Even if the lathe shop's foot is innocent, it should be killed!" This principle also applied in this world.
"First, get the breathing method, then kill these two bastards." Ron's eyes turned cold, and he made up his mind.
Then, when he saw the seventh and eighth pieces of intelligence, "Oh? Barto was cuckolded by his wife?" Ron raised his eyebrows and then had an idea. "Maybe I can make something out of this..."
Meanwhile, in the wealthy district of Kula City, in the Sal family's house on West Street, there was a slight glimmer of light in a servant's room.
In the small room, there were eight maids. They were dressed in coarse linen clothes and sitting on chairs. In front of each person, there was a table with a weakly burning kerosene lamp. They held pieces of luxurious silk in their hands and embroidered patterns continuously with needles and threads. Even at dawn, they still couldn't rest.
These were the slave servants of the Sal family. During the day, they had to plant or weave, and at night, they had to sew clothes, with almost no time to rest. At this time, most of the maids were yawning and could hardly hold on. One of them was even nodding off like a chicken pecking at rice, and the needle and thread in her hand slowly slipped down. It seemed that she was about to fall on the table with a thud.
"Be careful." A hand suddenly reached out and rested on her shoulder. The maid woke up and looked carefully, almost scared out of her wits. If it weren't for her companion holding her, she would have likely knocked over the kerosene lamp the moment she fell. And the silk that fell to the ground would also have been soaked and ignited by the kerosene lamp.
"Alice, thank you." The maid quickly expressed her gratitude. If the silk was damaged, even if it was just dirtied, she would definitely be severely punished and even whipped by the Sal family's steward tomorrow.
"You're welcome, Lola." The tired voice contained a hint of gentleness. Lola looked at Alice and saw that although she was thin, she was very tall. In terms of figure, she could be considered outstanding among the maids. However, one look at her face would instantly eliminate all desires. Alice's hair was withered, her skin was sallow, and there was a huge birthmark that covered most of her face. At first glance, she looked like a ghost from hell or some kind of humanoid monster. When Lola first met her, she was really scared. Even after getting along for a while, she would occasionally feel terrified.
"Keep holding on for a while, and you'll be able to rest soon," Alice reminded. Although she was ugly, she was very gentle and kind. Lola nodded and continued to work. To avoid falling asleep again, she chatted with Alice and the others.
"Alice, Milu, how did you come to the Sal family?" The maid named Milu sighed and said, "My father owed the Sal family gambling debts, so he sold me to the Sal family to pay off the debt." The other maids also shared their stories.
"My parents died, and my uncle and aunt didn't want to take me in, so they sold me."
"I am..."
After they finished speaking, they saw that Alice was silent and asked curiously, "Alice, who sold you?"
"Me?" Alice was silent for a moment, then said, "I sold myself."
Everyone was stunned and looked at Alice in shock. In this world, slaves were the most despicable and had the lowest status. Generally speaking, as long as there was a way out, one would definitely not become a slave. But Alice had actually sold herself? Didn't that mean her background was even more miserable than everyone else's? For a moment, Lola and the others were silent, looking at Alice with complex emotions. But Alice remained calm, with the corners of her mouth even slightly raised.
"I have a younger brother, his name is Ron, and he is a very kind child. As long as he can be safe, I can do anything," Alice murmured, looking at the moonlight outside the window. Her eyes gradually became a bit absent-minded. "Ron, how are you now? You must live well, you are the last hope of the whole family!"