Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 44
Eugene was chewing on a stalk of grass, lying back with his legs crossed under an apple tree, lost in thought.
He and Shivers had agreed to meet here at noon, but it was already two hours past noon, and the other hadn’t shown up. The sunlight filtering through the sparse leaves was warm enough to make one sleepy, but Eugene felt no such drowsiness.
Neither of them had ventured close to that strange mansion on the hill, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t gather intelligence. Eugene, with his unscrupulous ways, had disguised himself as a starving vagrant and managed to scrounge half a jug of milk on the outskirts of the estate at the foot of the mountain. However, the peasants were much more cautious than he had anticipated. They were tight-lipped to this foreigner, even showing a peculiar wariness and scrutiny.
This was interesting. Normally, even in private estates, the lower-class farmers wouldn’t exhibit such a uniformly strange xenophobic demeanor. After all, the master’s secrets shouldn’t leak to their level unless their lives and property were threatened—the hostility Eugene sensed was inexplicable and unreasonable.
Though those people revealed nothing, their attitude was enough to infer many problems.
Eugene sat up and drew several lines on the ground with a stick. This was a method he had secretly learned from the Duke, listing existing clues to find potential logical connections and thus deduce the most likely truths—Eugene sometimes found the Duke’s ability a bit eerie (he believed the rabbit-headed shopkeeper felt the same), but he didn’t show it given the man was their boss that controlled his food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
Eugene couldn’t write, but he could draw.
Throughout their travels, they had encountered private estates. Based on experience, the benefit of such a semi-closed loop system was peace and security, and the downside was its isolation. More remote estates might not see a new face for years, so outsiders bringing fresh news and items were generally welcomed—except those armed with cavalry and bandits. The rabbit-headed shopkeeper had even once dazzled a manor’s women and children with simple magic tricks, and when leaving, a child had even tried to sneak onto their carriage to go “learn magic” with them.
Compared to that, this estate’s guarded demeanor was intriguing. Eugene marked the first circle on his lines.
“One possibility is that this estate was recently attacked, or something unfortunate involving outsiders happened,” Eugene muttered to himself, then drew a second circle. “The walls are intact, and women and children can be seen around, which rules out an attack. Outsiders… Fraud? Theft? A minor incident wouldn’t make the whole estate cautious. The second possibility is that it’s an order from above. Why would the master order increased security? Something must have happened recently at the manor. Could it be related to that glowing thing?”
Eugene and Shivers had watched those “things”. They had entered the manor and left within an hour, and before dawn, another group also left the estate. Although they didn’t see it firsthand, the Knight Commander made an accurate judgment based on the direction and hoofprints on the road.
They had decided to split up to gather information: Eugene would approach the lower estate looking for any trace of the Duke—such a conspicuous appearance once seen would surely cause a stir in these rural parts.
Shivers, with his exceptional skills, planned to secretly infiltrate the surroundings of the manor and try to overhear some intelligence. They had agreed to meet under this apple tree at noon, regardless of their findings, to plan further.
Besides, Shivers had also specifically instructed him on some things. Normally, the armed forces of a private estate would be concentrated around the main house, and the lower estate wouldn’t have much fighting quality. As long as they avoid direct conflict, Eugene’s skills should at least allow him to avoid life threatening situations.
But scouting the manor was different. The strength of the opposition was unknown, and Shivers going in alone couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be accidents. So he told Eugene, if he didn’t appear by the agreed time, don’t go back to the estate and try to find the nearest town—the lowest standard being an inn with a hot bath, which was most likely a place where the unrestricted Duke might be found.
Actually, without Shivers explaining, Eugene would have done the same. Firstly, if even Shivers couldn’t handle it, it was just a waste of life for Eugene to try, and secondly… after all, they were just in an employment relationship. Eugene didn’t need to risk his own life for him.
Eugene spat out the grass stalk and hesitantly drew a cross on the ground. “Trouble at the manor, heightened alert, misfortune if approached. The nearest village is twenty-five miles southeast, the town even farther…” He stared at the diagram he had drawn for a while before finally looking up in the direction of the sun. If he didn’t set off now, it would be hard to reach the next populated place before dark.
“I’m just a little guy with no real skills. Even if I went, I wouldn’t be much help.” Eugene comforted himself, then, pushing off his knees, stood up, thought for a moment, and picked up a stick about as long as his arm. He took a deep breath and strode forward. He had only taken a few steps when a ghostly voice behind him made his hair stand on end.
“That way leads to the estate.”
Eugene froze for a moment, then spun around. The tall Knight Commander stood behind him, smiling with his arms crossed.
“Shivers!” Eugene exclaimed excitedly. “You’re not dead!”
Knight Commander: “……”
“Did you think I was dead?” Shivers raised an eyebrow.
Eugene truly sighed with relief. “Yes!”
Shivers said irritably, “Disappointed?”
Though startled, Eugene was still very happy. “The time came, and you didn’t show, so I—”
Shivers suddenly grabbed his neck. “Thinking of scouting the manor? You’re more thoughtful than I thought.”
Eugene: “So I thought to avenge you!”
Shivers: “…Tone down the boasting a bit. My earlier sentiment is nearly gone. But I’m still glad, you know you’re not very useful. If I had failed, you going there would be a death sentence. But you decided to look for me anyway.”
That praise sounded a bit strange.
Eugene looked slightly disgruntled and a bit embarrassed, his expression very complex. “Why were you late?”
“Got delayed a bit,” Shivers said solemnly. “But not without gain. That estate…”
The Knight Commander paused, seemingly considering his words.
“The Duke isn’t there,” he finally said. “We’re leaving now.”
Eugene’s curiosity was immediately piqued, clamoring to exchange detailed information—Shivers, fearing his loud voice might attract unwanted attention, had to cover his mouth, telling him they must talk while walking.
Before infiltrating the manor, Shivers thought it was just a closed, conservative, and xenophobic private estate. However, with the innate aristocratic smoothness (hypocrisy) of Duke Dwight and the resourcefulness of Shopkeeper Charlie, entering the estate should have been straightforward. But once he had smoothly entered and realized the Duke hadn’t been there, he inadvertently discovered the dark secrets of the estate that must not see the light of day.
“Dr. Salman.”
Only a three-branched candelabra on the left wall provided light in the tall entrance hall, which seemed insufficient before dawn had arrived. The tall, thin man in a stiff coat took off his hat and turned around.
“Mr. Foley.” The doctor bowed slightly to the man who had spoken. A boy of about thirteen or fourteen, holding a medicine box, stepped back to not obstruct the view between the two men.
“Dr. Salman, I…” Mr. Foley hesitated; his urgency mixed with hesitation. “Her condition isn’t good. You’d better take another look.”
Dr. Salman’s half-profile was hidden in the shadows. He was about to say something when footsteps echoed from the corridor behind the hall. It was the sound of a refined lady’s shoes tapping on the floor. The man known as Mr. Foley’s face changed, he looked back, then turned around again without saying anything further.
“If you need, I will come again tomorrow,” Dr. Salman said in a steady voice. “Please forgive me. I left in too much of a hurry last night, leaving many things unexplained. Even the apprentice came along, and at nine this morning I have an appointment with Sir Hippel…”
The footsteps stopped.
“Ah, then…” Mr. Foley stuttered. “Okay, then I will send someone to fetch you at the appropriate time.”
Dr. Salman nodded, and at this moment, a servant stepped forward.
“Let Archie take you there,” Mr. Foley said. “Because we’ve had—you know, a—a thief, so—”
“Proper caution is very necessary,” Dr. Salman said softly.
“Yes.” Mr. Foley sighed in relief.
It was more of a precaution than an escort. The dark-skinned servant almost shadowed the doctor out of the manor, straight to the stables, without a word exchanged on the way. Dr. Salman didn’t look around, but just as he was about to step into the carriage, he suddenly tapped his hat and stated that he had forgotten his cane in the entrance hall, asking the servant to retrieve it for him.
The servant glanced at the stable hands, bowed to the doctor, and hurried back to the manor. By the time he returned with the cane, Dr. Salman and his apprentice were already securely seated in the carriage.
Dr. Salman’s comment to Mr. Foley about “proper caution” was actually an understatement. As they left the mansion’s gate and even as they departed the estate, they were checked three or four times.
“…They nearly wanted to open and check the medical box,” the apprentice grumbled. Now that the carriage had left the estate, he finally began to complain.
“What happened last night must not be mentioned to anyone,” Dr. Salman said quietly. “Pretend as if nothing happened.”
“Why? It was just a miscarriage operation—” The apprentice was puzzled. “The child was already beyond saving. Why do we need to come back tomorrow? Doctor, didn’t you already prescribe the medication?”
Dr. Salman lowered his eyes. “We will not come tomorrow, nor will we ever return.”
The apprentice’s eyes widened.
“Moreover, what was lost last night wasn’t just any ‘child’.” The normally polite Dr. Salman’s tone suddenly carried a hint of sarcasm.
The apprentice shuddered at these words: “Doctor?”
“If you wish to continue learning, I will give you a letter. Take it to Labelle City, where my friend resides. If you do not wish to travel far, you may return to your hometown,” Dr. Salman said calmly.
“Wait, doctor, why? I’ve felt something was odd from the beginning! Why did you say we would come again tomorrow, and we clearly had no appointment today—”
“If I hadn’t said that, we would not have been able to leave the estate alive today,” the doctor interrupted. “But that was just a temporary measure, so you must leave immediately, and you are not to return to Bonan Town for ten years—better not even step into Ropappas City.”
The apprentice was stunned.
“But why, doctor?” he asked weakly. Dr. Salman wasn’t an unreasonable man. On the contrary, his cautious and calm character always made him think deeply about each step. The apprentice knew there must be a serious reason. “Can I go with you?”
“Just stay away from here. They won’t pursue you relentlessly. You were waiting outside all last night, so you didn’t see anything,” Dr. Salman whispered almost inaudibly. “But I personally disposed of ‘that thing’. If my judgment isn’t wrong, Mr. Foley and his wife wanted to bury me and ‘it’ together at that moment.”
The apprentice was even more shocked. “Wasn’t that Mr. Foley’s child?”
Dr. Salman shook his head. “That was not a child. It was…” He adjusted his wording. “Fortunately, it didn’t survive. Do not ask any more, for your own sake and for your family’s.”
He sternly cut off the apprentice’s burgeoning questions, and after that, no more words were spoken. The carriage was silent as it finally traveled the bumpy forest road and turned onto the main road leading to the town.
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