Chapter 2417: The Old Farmer’s Advice
After discovering Ed’s secret, we realized he was somewhat of an accomplice. We decided not to dwell on it for now and headed directly to the manor to begin the initial takeover. This time, we didn’t bring any ordinary employees, as they had all been assigned to Fuldamantha to prepare for opening the shop. Instead, we brought along professionals.
Re, the Sister Nuns, Via, Lorna, and Cherise, along with Giselle, were all skilled in fighting ghosts, whether they were of the light or undead. We hoped that whatever was in the manor wasn’t truly a ghost, otherwise, even ancient ghosts would be captured and kept as pets by them. Weis, Bailing Ding, and our new recruits Mari, Flame Feather, and Sandstone were assigned to protect the mall and the employees working inside, so they didn’t accompany us.
Genoa wasn’t exactly a safe place, and vandalizing shops was considered a basic form of business warfare. Jayad had just arrived and hadn’t established himself yet, so we feared someone might try to resort to dirty tactics to oust him. It was a precaution we had to take.
We arrived at the manor’s entrance. It was still as desolate as ever, overgrown with weeds. To our surprise, we noticed several farmers tending to fields nearby. We hadn’t noticed the farmland before because it was early spring, and the crops hadn’t sprouted yet, making it look abandoned. Now, we saw them sowing seeds and preparing the rice paddies.
Previously, Karina had told us that residents had moved away due to the strange occurrences in the manor. Indeed, the surrounding houses were now empty. Why were people here, loosening the soil and sowing seeds at this time?
Seeing us approach and stop at the manor’s main gate, the farmers hurried over and shouted, “Stop! Don’t go in! It’s very dangerous inside!” We stood still. We had initially thought these farmers were unaware of the danger and were simply farming here. Unexpectedly, they knew and had come to warn us.
Several farmers approached us. The one leading them was an old man with a face full of wrinkles and weathered by the elements. Curiously, although their skin was tanned and their faces were wrinkled, they didn’t show the Malnutrition we usually saw. In fact, they looked quite healthy.
“Sirs, what is it?” Jayad asked with a gentle smile. Coming from the Slums himself, he possessed a simple kindness and maintained an approachable attitude towards commoners, even now that he was wealthy.
Seeing a young man accompanied by a group of beautiful young women, all dressed in gorgeous clothes, the farmers assumed they were some rich young master and his maids out on an excursion. “Young master, you mustn’t go into this manor. There are terrifying spirits inside. Those who lived there before met with misfortune. As you can see, everyone else moved away long ago. You and the young ladies should go play somewhere else. It’s not fun here,” the farmers advised kindly.
“Oh? You say it’s dangerous, yet you are here sowing seeds. Aren’t you afraid of the danger?” Via asked. Dressed in a Western-style dress and holding a parasol, she looked like an Eldest Miss on an outing. Her appearance was incredibly delicate and cute, eliciting a sense of compassion even from these farmers.
“We have no choice. We must farm to survive, but the fields elsewhere are either occupied by rich people’s manors or are privately owned. Only this area is known for its malevolent reputation, so no one dares to claim the land here,” the old farmer said mournfully.
Another farmer explained, “We used to live nearby, and our farmland was here too. As the terrifying rumors about that haunted house grew, people became uneasy, and we were forced to move. But the land is still here, so we had to take the risk and return to farm.”
“We only farm here during the day and leave before dark, never stepping within the manor’s grounds. We should be fine,” a third farmer added.
Their explanations, pieced together, clarified the situation. They were indeed farmers from the vicinity who had been forced to move due to the spread of various terrifying rumors. However, lacking land to farm and sustain themselves, they had to sneak back to cultivate their crops.
Chatting further, we learned that land was scarce in Genoa, resulting in very little arable farmland. Most of their grain was imported from foreign countries, which also led to high food prices, especially since the wealthy didn’t lack money. Because of this, they could make a decent living by selling their surplus grain in the market. Compared to farmers elsewhere, their lives were quite good, and they were generally healthy.
“Everyone, you say there’s a problem with this manor. What specific problem is it?” Jayad seized the opportunity to ask.
“Ah? What are you asking about? Young man, you mustn’t be curious. This is not a place for a young master like yourself to be interested in,” the old farmer quickly stopped him upon hearing Jayad’s question.
“I’m simply interested in such matters. And if I know what terrifying things have happened, I can be more careful, can’t I? Please tell me,” Jayad said with a smile. Seeing the farmers’ hesitation, they were not only worried that Jayad might rush in recklessly upon hearing the story, but they were also secretive about the matter itself, rarely speaking of it for fear that the terrifying events might befall them.
“Tell us, and this one gold coin is yours.” Jayad once again resorted to the universal method of bribery. Unlike Ed, who had some experience with money, these farmers’ eyes lit up at the sight of the gold coin. Although a gold coin wasn’t worth that much in Genoa, it was equivalent to half a year’s income for each of them working diligently.
At this crucial moment, the old farmer remained lucid. He immediately said, “Young master, your generosity touches us, but you don’t need to give us so much. It’s difficult for us to divide one gold coin.” He clearly understood that wealth could stir up trouble. These farmers were not a family but several families working together, and one gold coin was enough to turn them against each other.
“That’s easy. As long as you provide useful information, each of you will receive one gold coin,” Jayad generously stated. There were only eight farmers here, and eight gold coins were far cheaper than bribing Ed. Although the old farmer still felt they were taking too much, upon hearing that everyone would get a gold coin, the other farmers eagerly began to speak.
“The manor used to have occasional crying sounds at night. It is said to be quite regular, occurring on a certain day in the latter half of each month.”
“It is said to be a gathering place for witches. My father once saw women in strange clothes enter the manor, and blood light would emanate from within.”
“I heard from the children that they saw strange singing and dancing near the manor at night.”
