Flevance, North Blue.
Eighty years ago, a special ore called "Amber Lead" was discovered in this town. It could be used for tableware, seasonings, even cosmetics. This unique resource quickly made Flevance a renowned and prosperous town.
Julius, for his part, had straightforwardly handed over the 55 million Berries to Alucard.
"Welcome back next time." At the entrance of a clothing store, a waitress enthusiastically bowed to Alucard's retreating back. His recent purchases had earned her a hefty sum.
Alucard had now shed his grimy, tattered clothes, donning a blood-red robe and a wide-brimmed formal hat that almost entirely covered his shoulders.
Walking along the street, Alucard couldn't help but glance at his reflection in a jewelry shop window. Though his face still held a hint of youthfulness, this was truly Alucard, wasn't it?
"If you're not in a hurry to leave, wait here for a while. Some interesting figures will arrive."
Alucard recalled Julius's words to him as he left the Marine branch with his bounty. He didn't have mind-reading abilities, but he could infer Julius's intentions. At the very least, it wasn't a hostile invitation to ambush him with reinforcements.
"Interesting. I'll wait a few days then."
Alucard wandered through the streets, frequenting various hotels in Flevance over the past few days, all while testing his abilities. He discovered a problem through his Thermal Vision: some people in this town harbored peculiar, microscopic toxins within their bodies.
It wasn't obvious yet, as this poison was latent. In other words, you wouldn't notice it at first; by the time you did, it would be severe enough to be fatal.
Besides tracking enemies, Thermal Vision could also reveal differences between individuals and ordinary people. Alucard used this ability to discern the distinctions between those who were poisoned and those who were not.
This was poisoning, and the source of the poison...
Alucard held a piece of white stone in his hand. This was the so-called "Amber Lead," which could be used to create many everyday products. The more frequently a person came into contact with it, the more easily they would be poisoned.
Indeed, most of the poisoned individuals, Alucard observed out of curiosity, were workers who had long toiled in the mines, responsible for excavating Amber Lead.
"At this rate, in perhaps ten years or so, the poison will spread to an uncontrollable degree," Alucard chuckled, crushing the Amber Lead in his hand into powder. He had no intention of being a savior. Besides, Flevance, already blinded by the profits from Amber Lead, wouldn't listen to such warnings, would it?
Beneath Alucard's feet was the very quarry where Amber Lead was mined. Many people inside were already poisoned, though it hadn't yet manifested. Soon enough, they would likely die because of this stuff.
"Hold on, the price of this material must be reduced by another 20%."
Alucard, just about to leave, suddenly heard an argument from another side below. He turned to see a group of men in suits arguing with a group of commoners dressed as workers.
"Twenty percent is too much! It won't even cover the mining costs!" On the workers' side, a ragged foreman anxiously waved his hands. "Right now, the Amber Lead is already over-mined, and finding more resources is getting harder and harder. If you reduce the price by another 20%, we won't even be able to afford food."
On the suit-clad men's side, the leader, a man in a black trench coat with an ill-intentioned demeanor, sneered, "Are you perhaps unaware that we have authority authorized by the World Government? Do you intend to defy the government?"
Amber Lead could be used to create special weapons, so the World Government had invested heavily in its acquisition. The man before them, Maswick, was responsible for handling this matter for the government.
Purchasing Amber Lead in large quantities was big business. With such a massive sum of money at stake, Maswick immediately harbored his own selfish motives. This was a golden opportunity for him to get rich.
The vast amount of money allocated by the government meant that if he could just drive down the price slightly here, he could pocket a huge commission. For this reason, he was now demanding a 20% reduction in the price of Amber Lead.
This utterly terrified the workers of Flevance.
Although Amber Lead sold for a high price, excavating it was time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Originally, they earned a decent sum, but Maswick's demand for a 20% reduction would completely strip them of their profits, forcing them to operate at a loss.
However, if they tried to resist, the other party could simply invoke the name of the World Government, leaving them to simmer in silent resentment.
"This is for the sake of world peace. The government's finances are tight lately, and purchasing large amounts of Amber Lead is also for peace. You should understand the government's difficulties."
Maswick spoke righteously, making Alucard above him chuckle involuntarily. The World Government having tight finances—this was truly the funniest joke he'd heard since arriving in this world.
The already quiet atmosphere due to the discussion, combined with the echo in the mine, meant Alucard's laughter was immediately heard by everyone.