The Law of the Silent Gentleman

Sparse clouds floated in the night sky, blocking out a little starlight. A crescent moon is like a boat on a dark river, hidden in the floating clouds from time to time, and the light shining on the ground is therefore stronger and weaker at times. At a certain brief moment when the moon was completely covered by clouds, a carriage pulled by two horses drove out of the towering city walls of Vanessa, spread its hooves amidst the yelling of the drivers, and rushed towards the south coast like the wind.

The driver was wearing a night-black woolen coat, a shawl decorated with dark purple smooth feathers, a pair of snow-white linen gloves, and an ivory beak mask on his face. The carriage was speeding, and the night wind howled, making the feathers on the driver's shawl dance wildly. From a distance, it looked like a strange black bird spreading its wings against the wind under the night.

The carriage drove out of the countryside, drove through the countryside, and soon arrived in a deserted wilderness. There is no longer a wide avenue paved with stone slabs, and the road under the wheel has become a rough and muddy dirt road. The carriage was jolted violently, and the axles made a toothsome creaking sound.

Passing through an olive grove, the driver suddenly gave a cry and took the reins with both hands. The two horses braked hastily, a cloud of dust kicked up from their hooves. The driver looked around suspiciously, and the horse snorted uneasily.

Five or six masked strong men jumped out from the olive grove, each holding sharp weapons in their hands.

"Mr. Doctor, why are you still on your way at this late hour? Seeing that you have such a luxurious carriage, you must not be stingy with those road money, right?"

The driver snorted, thinking that it turned out to be a highway robber. There has never been a lack of such thieves in the wilderness.

"I'm not a doctor, but an alchemist. A person wearing a bird's beak mask is not necessarily a doctor, do you understand?"

The robbers roared with laughter. "I don't care if you are a doctor or a warlock! Anyway, if you cut it down, you will become a'dead'! Stop talking nonsense, leave your wallet, and you can get out!"

The driver sighed, and the beak mask shook from side to side. "No, no, this robbery line is too bad. If I have time, I will definitely help you to change it. It will definitely become outstanding in literary talent. Unfortunately, I really don't have time today."

He took out a wallet from his pocket and threw it at the robber: "I'm in a hurry, life is at stake! Take it, take it, take it, get out of the way!"

The robber weighed the wallet and looked at each other, unexpectedly the robbery went so smoothly. Although they really want to make another round, but they have always been good at stealing, since they have paid the money, they will reluctantly let people go.

The robbers retreated into the olive grove, waiting for the next big fat sheep to arrive. The driver waved his whip to urge the horses to get on the road. After the carriage drove out of the olive grove, the driver murmured sadly: "What a shame! What a shame! I, the alchemist Petro, will be robbed by a mere robber one day! No one will believe me! Alas! Brother Enzo, It's all your fault! I have to keep this account on your head!"

Five hours ago, a young man with brown hair and rustic attire pushed open the door of the alchemist shop "Aromatic Decoction" in the lower city of Vanessa. The owner, Petro, was cleaning a set of brass instruments behind the counter. He couldn't care less about welcoming customers, so he said casually, "Welcome, please take a look."

The young man looked at the shelves in the store in fear, and was so frightened by the various products on them that he didn't dare to breathe, his hands were sticking to the seams of his trousers obediently, as if he was afraid that he would be injured if he accidentally touched something that shouldn't be touched. Like a festering hand.

"Well, may I ask, are you Mr. Petro, the alchemist?"

The young man spoke Common Tongue with a thick Rolleran accent.

"Hmm, it's right here."

"Uh, my name is Antoine, from Lorjan."

"Lorran? That poor country... oh, I mean that wonderful place with outstanding people?"

The young man named Antoine glared at him unhappily. "I hear you, you want to say 'backcountry'."

"Hey, don't care too much about other people's evaluations! Young talents from Lorjan come all the way to visit my small shop in Vanessa, what's your business?"

Antoine walked up to him and aggressively slapped a round object on the counter. Petro was not in the mood to look at the belongings of the poor boy in the country, he just stared at the brass scale in his hand. "This shop is an alchemy pharmacy, not a **** shop."

"Look carefully!" Antoine blushed, as if humiliated.

Petro glanced at the counter, almost throwing the scale out in fright.

"Why do you have this thing!"

Antoine grinned triumphantly, with a look of "hmph, I made you look down on me, I regret it now".

"My friend Enzo asked me to show you this token."

"Enzo? He's still alive!" Petro exclaimed.

"What kind of nonsense is this, he is alive and well, and he asked me to tell..."

Petro covered Antoine's mouth, let out a "hush", and then ran to the door of the store surreptitiously. After making sure that no one was eavesdropping, he quickly hung a "Closed Business" sign on the door, and closed the door. Several bolts were also fastened with chains. After completing the security measures, he turned to greet Antoine.

"Enzo sent you here?"

"yes."

"Why doesn't he come in person? In trouble?"

"He is safe, but he needs your help. He is hiding in a hidden place on the south coast of Vanessa, but he can't enter the city for a while, because the guards remember the appearance of the wanted criminal, and he is afraid of being recognized. But as long as you enter It’s much better when he’s in the city, where he has plenty of places to hide. So he let me come in first and ask the alchemist Petro for help.”

"But he's not wanted! ... Oh, I see!" Petro slapped his head, "Is he still with that young master? Didn't they escape from the city? Why are they coming back again? Are you sick? what!"

"You're the one who's sick! They're coming back to report—come back to do big things! Anyway, you shouldn't care! Just help get them into the city!"

"I'm going to do a big thing...I still believe in a happy event..." The alchemist muttered, "It's an attitude to ask for help, hmph, so what if I don't help..."

Antoine grabbed the things on the counter and put them into his arms: "Enzo said that if you don't want to help, go to 'Mrs. The properties in the city can only be paid to Mrs. Manlei as a reward..."

Upon hearing the words "property" and "remuneration", Petro's eyes lit up immediately.

"I'll help! Of course I'm willing to help! How many years of friendship have I had with Enzo, and I'm willing to do anything for him!" He rubbed his hands, "How should I pick him up and that young master?"

Antoine leaned close to his ear and explained Enzo's plan in detail, and Petro nodded while listening.

"Oh...that's it...that's how it is...I understand. It's very simple, I'll do it now."

"Then please!"

"Aren't you going with me?"

"Enzo said let me go to Mrs. Manlei's shop and wait for him."

"The shop of the old hag... er, I mean the shop of the noble lady?" Petro smiled strangely, and patted Antoine on the shoulder encouragingly, "Enzo is really knowledgeable, and even knows how to take you to see her." See the world."

"See what? Isn't that an inn or a restaurant? Enzo said that as long as you report his name, the people in the store will serve you with good wine and good food."

"...Just pretend I didn't say anything."

What a weirdo. thought Antoine. Enzo's friends are full of strange people. Or are all Vanessa people so eccentric? Anyway, he has done what Enzo asked him to do, so there is no need to stay for long. Petro ran upstairs to prepare something, Antoine called "Farewell!", but he didn't hear Petro's answer. I don't know if he didn't bother to answer, or he was too busy to hear.

When Petro put on his "alchemist outfit" and returned to the first floor, Antoine had disappeared. Petro was not worried about this young man from a foreign land getting lost in the huge city-state. Mrs. Manley's shop is so famous that almost everyone knows it. Antoine can find the location of the shop by simply asking a few passers-by.

Later, Petro drove a wagon pulled by two horses, drove out of the towering city walls of Vanessa, and ran towards the south coast.

A small boat was hidden in the crevice of the reef and covered with branches. At first glance, it was thought to be the wreck of a shipwreck washed up on the beach by the waves. Two figures, one tall and one short, are sitting on the reef with their backs to the sea. The tall figure had long, extremely light-colored hair hanging loose. From a distance, it looked like a waterfall of moonlight cascading down his shoulders. The shorter figure snuggled into his arms, as if afraid of the cold, but also as if using his body as a stove to keep him warm.

Hearing the sound of the wheels rolling against the stone, two figures jumped off the rock one after another.

"Both of you don't know how to light a lamp! It's really easy for me to find!" Petro stopped the carriage angrily, because he was afraid that the wheels would get stuck in the sand pit, so he didn't move forward.

"Didn't you always say that my head is like an alchemy lamp ball at night?" Enzo walked towards him, casually stroking the mane of the horse pulling the cart.

Petro made a disgusted face under the mask. "Where it looks like a light ball, it is simply a lighthouse. You can see your shiny head standing in the gutter of the lower city."

"Then it's a miracle that I haven't blinded your eyes when I'm so close to you. Your eyes must be made of diamond."

As soon as the two met, they began to bicker back and forth. Not only were the two parties not angry at each other's sarcasm, but they seemed elated. When other old friends meet again, they may embrace, kiss, and shed hot tears, but their reunion often starts with mutual criticism. When they had had enough of "greeting" each other, they turned their attention to Giuliano. Petro leaned out of the driver's seat and shook Giuliano's hand.

"Long time no see, young master, you seem to have grown taller than then."

Giuliano scratched his head in embarrassment. At his age, it is normal for him to grow three or four inches taller. "Really, really? It's only been a few months..."

"Don't worry about it, it's just social rhetoric."

Giuliano: "…"

Enzo rubbed Giuliano's head angrily and amusedly: "Don't listen to his nonsense, he never speaks accurately. Get in the car, we hurry on our way as soon as possible, we have to go to the city at dawn."

"Why do we have to hurry before dawn?"

"In order to help you get away with it, I have spent a lot of effort!" Petro yelled, "I specially ran to Adichie's farm to transport a carload of moonshine amaranth. It is a raw material for alchemy, and it must be prepared at night. Collecting, once you take it off, you can’t see the sun, and it’s slightly poisonous. The guards at the city gate know this, so they won’t check it too carefully. You will hide in the empty box below. When I pass the city gate, I only need As soon as it was said that it was the Adichie farm who delivered the goods, the guards understood."

Enzo climbed into the carriage first, and then pulled Giuliano up. Six or seven wooden crates were loaded on the car. Enzo moved the top box away, opened the empty box below, and beckoned Giuliano to hide it in.

"Be careful, don't touch the moonlight amaranth, I don't care about poisoning. Don't ruin it, it's expensive!"

Giuliano shrank into the box with a grimace, hugging his knees and coiling his body into a small ball. The position left him breathless. I really don't understand why cats like to drill into boxes.

Petro continued to sigh with emotion: "It is much easier to enter and leave the city now, and the guards are not strict. When you first left Vanessa, everyone who left the city had to be searched. I wish I had to check even a hair with a magnifying glass." ..."

Enzo touched Giuliano's cheek: "Be patient, I will let you out when you enter the city." He said and pecked him lightly on the face.

The resentment in the young apprentice's heart was immediately dispelled by this shallow kiss. "Hmm." He responded slightly. Enzo covered the box, put the wooden box full of moonshine amaranth on it, and then sat next to Petro. Petro pulled out a beak mask from under the driver's seat. "Put it on."

Enzo played with the mask: "I'm not a wanted criminal."

"That face of yours might get you into trouble."

"Sigh, being beautiful is also a sin." Enzo put on his mask with a sigh, "For your safety, I have no choice but to wrong myself."

"According to you, am I the world's most handsome guy who wears a mask all day?"

Enzo made a vomiting sound: "Ouch! Nausea!"

"Don't vomit. You're wearing a mask. What if you vomit in it? It'll get on your face? It's even more disgusting when you think about it."

"I'd rather be drowned in my own vomit than see your face."

While continuing to quarrel, the two drove the carriage to Vanessa City. After a while they passed the olive grove where Petro was robbed. Several masked strong men with sharp knives jumped out of the woods and stopped the carriage.

"Wow! It's you again!" Petro yelled angrily, "I paid the toll!"

The strong men surrounded the carriage, pointing the dangling white knives at the two people in the carriage.

"There was only one person when you went, and there was another one when you came back, and the toll for that person hasn't been paid yet!"