Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 9
In Lemena, the existence of witches was considered very ominous—along with everything related to witches.
In some extreme villages and towns, there were still occurrences of people suspected of affiliating with witches being burned alive. Most people who heard about such events were only grateful that the local residents were saved from a terrible disaster.
Therefore, Dwight’s method of fishing this time could be described as quite hardcore. After it was revealed that the treasure they had was a product of a witch, the Stonewall Inn lost most of its guests within a day, and even those who were most enthusiastic about discussing the miraculous jug clammed up.
Thus, old Barry gleefully kicked them out.
The Duke and the Knight Commander suffered no losses—their original goal was merely to find Eugene, and after the matter was handled, they covered their faces with hoods, ensuring no one would recognize them.
Shivers was a bit uneasy because his savior had also disappeared, and he felt he hadn’t properly repaid him.
If he had revealed his identity as Shivers, the Knight Commander of Brandenburg, he could have offered gold or jewels as a thank you, but as Traveler Green, it was unwise to display wealth.
Dwight didn’t comment on this. Unlike Shivers, who was innately upright and transparent, Dwight’s suspicious nature made him distrust any coincidence, so he kept a watchful eye on the man who had unexpectedly helped them, maintaining an impassive facade.
His intuition told him that this man was hiding something from everyone. If they weren’t in Kamal without anyone to deploy, the typical approach of the Duke of Brandenburg would be to have someone secretly follow Oscar until he learned what the name of his family pet was or ensure that he wouldn’t ‘coincidentally’ appear before them again.
Unfortunately, being away from home meant simplifying matters.
The naturally paranoid Duke no longer bothered with his Knight Commander, turning his attention instead to a new member of their travel group.
Eugene was forced to bathe in the dead of winter, with Shivers personally overseeing the stable boy scrubbing Eugene as if he was scrubbing a pot, until Eugene was as clean as a freshly prepared pig ready for the slaughter. His matted, tangled hair was neatly trimmed, and after much negotiation, Eugene’s large beard was shortened and tidied into a neat style. Cleanly dressed, the formerly disreputable thief now looked quite handsome.
Only Eugene wasn’t satisfied; losing his beard made him feel very insecure, and he covered himself up tightly, more afraid of revealing his identity than Dwight and Shivers.
It took Shivers only one night to thoroughly unravel Eugene’s background. Born in a remote village, his parents had many children but could not support them. Since the age of eight, when Eugene realized that even defeating all his siblings for oatmeal porridge wouldn’t satisfy his hunger, he resolutely ran away from home.
A child under ten growing up alone naturally experiences all sorts of dirty deeds and situations, but it must be said that Eugene had a talent for survival that far exceeded that of ordinary people, which was why Dwight took an interest in him.
In the carriage robbery incident, Eugene was the only one who wasn’t blinded by greed and accurately predicted the situation to escape. Although it was chaotic, Dwight instantly distinguished him from the other two brainless fools.
And Eugene’s obsession with the magic jug he threw away in desperation and his return to steal it confirmed Dwight’s judgment. Despicable yet fearful, shrewd yet low-key, and most importantly, poor.
A broken jug could hook him so deeply that the wealthy Duke was confident he could manipulate him as he wished.
Knowing it was a witch’s artifact, Eugene completely gave up on his ‘treasure’, even wanting to distance himself as much as possible from it.
There were many rumors about witches on the continent, one of which was that every witch’s emblem was her eye, through which she could see everything she wanted to see scattered around the emblem.
Eugene certainly didn’t want to appear within a witch’s field of vision. But the jug was the only valuable thing he owned, and the substantial loss left Eugene disheartened until Dwight offered a generous reward, making Eugene shamelessly commit on the spot—Eugene still remembered the extravagantly luxurious carriage at the edge of the forest.
After leaving the Stonewall Inn, they didn’t immediately leave the city but split up from Eugene. Wrapped in an old cloak, Eugene quickly disappeared into the alleys with the crowd, returning before dark with the information Dwight wanted.
“Indeed, someone saw a man with a high-top hat and a rabbit head,” Eugene reported to Dwight. “He wasn’t hiding his movements. It was easy to inquire about him. The night before last, he was drinking in a small tavern on Hyena Alley, and everyone thought he was from the circus because he performed a few impromptu card tricks.”
As Eugene said, for someone with an unusual appearance, Charlie’s movements weren’t discreet. He stayed in Kamal for two days, shopping, drinking, watching plays, and even winning a robust donkey in a card game at a tavern.
This information inspired Dwight. When they left Kamal, Eugene also received a small donkey as transportation. Even compared to ordinary horses, the mounts Dwight and Shivers rode, Araceae and Midnight, were exceptionally distinguished. Looking at their fine horses, Eugene sweet-talked Dwight.
“Sir, we are on a long journey. For someone of your noble status, such meager luggage is too modest. If we don’t find a place to stay overnight, we should at least bring a tent, a pot, and a pillow, and pack more warm clothing. It’s difficult without a carriage.”
“We’ll follow the main road. There will be villages until the next city. Driving a carriage is inconvenient if we encounter pine forests and streams.” Shivers, of course, knew what Eugene was up to. “Buying you a donkey to carry the luggage was already a great kindness. You should know that in our territory, attendants are expected to walk.”
Eugene assessed Shivers’ combat capabilities and, although reluctant, he kept quiet. The coldest part of winter had passed, and each day was warmer than the last. Thanks to Dwight, Eugene found himself in the most elaborate underwear, robes, wool coats, and snow hats he’d ever worn. He even had long boots, and truly, there was nothing left to complain about.
For Shivers, it was his Duke who exhibited astonishing adaptability. At Brandenburg, even slightly uncomfortable cushions could irritate the Duke, but since they’d set out, he’d shown remarkable tolerance for their less-than-ideal conditions, which made Shivers feel quite guilty. Although they ensured as much comfort as possible during their journey, their nomadic lifestyle couldn’t compare to the luxuries of Brandenburg. And considering the witch’s jug, they were never short of ill-intentioned encounters on the road.
In such circumstances, Eugene’s presence was quite essential since he was one of those who could harbor ‘ill intentions’ towards others’ possessions. Having such a character in the group indeed helped to detect dangers that Dwight and Shivers, with their noble upbringing, might overlook.
Eugene, a natural wanderer, persuaded Dwight and Shivers to take a detour on lesser paths without straying from the main road’s direction.
Typically, these rugged paths were harder to navigate than well-paved roads, especially during the rainy season, when even the largest horses could get stuck in the mud.
However, the conditions were better in winter, and unless one was part of a heavily-armed caravan, experienced travelers seldom took the main roads ostentatiously. Every major road had its share of unpredictable robbers and bandits, making unarmed travelers exceedingly cautious. Dwight and Shivers weren’t afraid of a fight, but they suspected that the shopkeeper, with only his tin soldier, wouldn’t foolishly attract highway robbers by traveling the main roads. Taking the lesser paths could increase their chances of catching up with him.
The reasons Eugene, a former thief, gave for taking these routes were quite persuasive. His extensive experience allowed him to read the signs of nature, like the moss on trees and the shapes of puddles, and on a few occasions, he even spotted some inconspicuous footprints.
“These must be donkey prints,” he stated confidently. “They look just like the ones made by my Catherine.”
As Shivers was about to dismount to take a closer look, Midnight and Araceae became restless, stomping small pits into the damp soil.
Eugene, who was crouching on the ground, reacted quickly and clambered onto his Catherine, scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
“What is it?” Shivers asked, noticing something was off and lowering his voice.
“Wolves,” Eugene muttered from the corner of his mouth.
Behind them, several gray shapes had followed unnoticed, concealing themselves behind trees and rocks, revealing only small sections of their forms. Their green, glowing eyes would have been more visible at night, but even under the fading sun, these cunning creatures merely followed at a safe distance, like ominous shadows.
“Let’s keep moving forward,” Eugene suddenly declared loudly. “We’ll reach a village before dark.”
Then he added in a much lower voice, “We can’t run now. If we do, the wolf pack will catch up quickly since horses can’t run fast in the forest. Let’s move forward until we reach the open plains, then we can run for it. Once we get to the village, they won’t follow.”
This wasn’t Shivers’ first encounter with wolves, but usually, he led a squadron of knights, so a few hungry gray wolves were no threat. However, now he had to prioritize the Duke’s safety and needed to be extra cautious. Subconsciously, he didn’t include Dwight in his calculations of combat strength—if he had to defend himself with a sword, it would be a disgrace.
Wolves were said to smell human fear. Knowing the wolves would wait patiently for an opportunity, Eugene deliberately talked and laughed loudly, repeatedly boasting about a time he fought off two bandits alone.
Shivers half-heartedly engaged in the conversation while keeping an eye on the wolves. Perhaps Eugene’s bravado was effective; the distance between them and the wolves increased until they were no longer visible as they exited the forest.
Forest wolves were notoriously cunning hunters, and no one would think they’d give up that easily. They were about to speed up to reach the village by sunset when they suddenly heard a commotion from the woods behind them.
“What’s that sound?” Eugene asked, puzzled.
“Wolves!” Shivers’ face fell as he heard a wolf howl.
But instead of wolves, a white horse burst from the trees behind them, carrying a young girl draped in a crimson cloak with long golden hair spilling from under her hat, clutching the reins tightly. She appeared to have lost control of the horse and was likely unconscious, as she made no cry for help.
The author has something to say:
The design of the girl’s red cloak is inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”.
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