Blood tax

Chapter 13 Doubt
"You can drive, right?" Galadia threw her luggage on the rack of the rented carriage, then jumped on it herself, spread out the blanket and lay down comfortably, then turned to look in front of the horse Busy apprentice knight.

"Yes, I used to disguise myself as a food cart driver to attract orc ambushes," Griffith patted the shelf, "I wore my mail under the sackcloth coat, and the others were hiding where you were lying now. position, crossbow in hand, covered with straw and burlap sacks."

"How cunning~" The elf girl raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

Griffith was pressed for time, too late to wait for the regular sailing like the other guests.As a non-commissioned officer of the regiment, he rented a carriage from a business in Izmir. After paying a certain rent, he could use the carriage for travel, and finally return it at another town business in the north near the strait.

Galadia didn't seem to care about anything, as long as she didn't continue living in the farmhouse.The two traveled northward along the land road, heading towards the capital Bayeran.

They came to the town of Baresi two days later.After passing through here and then walking forward for a while, you will reach the east coast of Jianhai.This sea area connects the Broken Sea and the Tranquil Sea. It is an inland sea surrounded by the core territory of the kingdom. You can reach Bayeran in one day by boat.

The news of the victory of the war has already reached here, and it is said that the messenger rushed through the town while shouting the news of the victory of the war, and then the messenger of this town rushed towards the nearby town.

Happy people are singing and dancing on the street.Many small vendors also bring their various goods to sell.

At the bustling gate of the city, Griffith and Galadia saw a notice posted on the street. The Magic Association and Church that no longer send young people to join the army are recruiting new recruits. Young people from 12 to 17 years old can sign up.

"You, don't you want to try it?" The elf ranger shook his head and said to the apprentice knight, "Take off your hard armor, put on your robe and live a decent life, and you won't have to live in the wilderness in the future. Toasted black bread in the wild!"

"My magic affinity is very ordinary, and it is difficult to complete the configuration of the spell due to the influence of blood. The priest in the army has given us a test," Griffith shook his head, "Even if I am admitted, I can only do chores. work."

"Isn't a handyman good!" Galadia raised her eyebrows with a smile, "Many great mages start out in humble corners, first as handymen or as apprentices, and then with their own efforts and opportunities Coincidentally, I found secrets or treasures covered by dust in garbage heaps, old bookstores, and caves under waterfalls, and then I changed my fate and pretended to be pigs and tigers to challenge and kill all over the world! Does it sound super exciting!"

"This... which hero's legend is this?" Griffith looked at his companion in surprise.

"Why~ don't you know? Lucien, Linley, one vote!"

"Who is this!?"

"You are so boring," Galadia shook her head. "Are there no novels in the human library?"

"The books in the Junior Sergeant's School tend to be about military science and engineering, and occasionally you can see a bit of history books," Griffith sighed, "Most of the time on the battlefield, you can only read regulations, military newspapers, or from corpses. Pick up two letters and look at them."

"Hold... I'm sorry, it was me who was wrong," Galadia waved her hands hastily, "Don't talk about it, the atmosphere suddenly becomes solemn and I'm going to cry."

"It doesn't matter. The reason why I returned from the front line early was because I received a recommendation from the Larmore family that I can study for free in a comprehensive college like Homonwarts in September," Griffith said without mind. "It's a pity that I didn't catch up with the final challenge, but I can't complain about being able to enter such a well-known institution of higher learning... Although this is a magic academy, there are also professional courses corresponding to me, and the collection of books there must be full of pits and valleys! "

The elf smiled slightly: "That's what you humans do~ Lawbreakers of the Higher Magic Academy.

"Speaking of why we met so by chance... Well, apprentice knight, with experience in Eastern combat, suitable age, it is not surprising that he was selected to become Shutoral. Izmir is on the Eastern Seaway again... …”

Galadia seemed to be thinking about something, but quickly dismissed the idea.She looked around at the bustling shops on the street, and tugged at the corner of her companion's clothes: "Come on, let's go eat that shop! The money is all with you, you have to treat me to eat better!"

The hotel here is as simple as the tavern in Izmir, but it is also filled with citizens celebrating the victory.

"Did Mr. Apprentice Knight come back from the East? Would you like to try our special lamb chops?" The waitress saw Griffith walking into the tavern, and immediately leaned up kindly, "I can also recommend this book to you. What about an easy-to-pay job in town!"

Are your marketing routines uniformly trained?Everyone said the same... Griffith thought of Miss Tina of Izmir and smiled and shook his head.

"I really don't need a job introduction? It's easy to make money, so~ Then, do you want to stay in a hotel!" The waitress continued with some disappointment, "Recently, several travelers in the wilderness have disappeared, and the mayor is eager to find someone. Step up patrols..."

Griffith declined the hostess' offer, sat down on the wooden chair, ordered two large loaves of bread, some meat and a plate of vegetables, and added a stack of honey after a little hesitation.

Another 20 Su... A goblin's head can only be exchanged for a lunch like this, so peaceful life is like this... I heard that the big nobles in the capital can spend hundreds of silver lang for a meal.

The gods are on top, this head can't be piled on a table!

The apprentice knight rolled with all kinds of strange thoughts and took a bite of the dry steak.

Galadia sat in front of Griffith, looking at the food on the table and then at him.

"Don't you want to eat?" The apprentice knight pushed forward a large piece of bread.

The beautiful and delicate elf frowned, and sighed softly, "You've got so much bounty, so will you invite me to eat this? This bread is so hard that it was sawed out of wood! I'll deduct five points from you!"

"This is an inland town in the East. The war has just ended, there is no fresh catch, and the traffic is not very convenient. We can't ask for too much. The closer we are to the capital, the better we will eat." Griffith hurriedly scooped up a The big spoon of honey was handed over again, "I promise, I will treat you to a good meal when you arrive at Bayeran."

"Well, honey is not bad," the elf tasted the golden honey, and her eyes brightened immediately.

In front of her, the apprentice knight spread out a roll of letter paper, dipped ink with a quill pen, and wrote quickly.

"What are you writing?" Galadia brought the vegetable plate to her while eating honey.

"My teacher at NCO, he's been transferred to Reserve Command, and I'm making an appointment to visit him," Griffith said. "There are ravens going to and from Bayeran, and I want to warn him. The goblins that appeared in this attack, dispatched the local garrison to carry out search and suppression. In addition, we have to wait here for a while, the town sheriff has received an order to investigate the apprentice of Isis mage, and it may be later. Bring me some news."

"Are you worried that Isis's accomplices will attack us? It's possible," the elf ranger put away his smile and asked solemnly, "Why pay special attention to goblins, they are, disgusting. But to destroy them even on foot Feudal knights don't need to be dispatched. Relatively speaking, the resurrected corpse is more strange and dangerous!"

"Living corpses don't have their own ethnic groups and organizations, and even maintaining their survival for a long time is a problem. For the time being, there is nothing to fear," Griffith said. "These goblins have their own intelligence and ethnic groups."

This little letter will be sent to Bayeran through the ravens between towns.On this letter, the apprentice knight was filled with dense handwriting.

"Dear Teacher Heinz,

"Please forgive me for not being able to greet you for a long time due to the tension of the war. I did not participate in the last siege of the Atana campaign, and I have already embarked on the road back to the capital. Compared with my comrades who died on the battlefield, I am undoubtedly a great deal. Fortunately, I hope to share with you the many experiences and insights in the past two years.

"Just a few days before writing this letter, I took part in a battle with goblin bandits in the village of Manisa, north of the seaport city of Izmir, and encountered resurrected corpses. These evil creatures I believe you must have heard of it, and I will not repeat it.

"After the battle was won, my allies and I went deep into the goblin's lair in the forest, trying to save the captive villagers. There, I witnessed a horrific scene that I had never seen before on the battlefield.

"The goblins, who were only a little older than children, captured the females, pigs, and sheep of the village, mated indiscriminately, and gave birth to goblin cubs of various shapes. The various atrocities on the scene were disgusting. From the survey results, if the mother is at the right time to conceive, this monster only needs three days from mating to birth.

"It also struck me that, despite being ugly and fragile, goblins were extremely tolerant of their environment and were not picky about their food. I think that even during the toughest times on the Eastern battlefield, I enjoyed the The supplies and camps are also [-] times better than the goblin den.

"Goblins can eat carrion, bark, and even some excrement. According to survivors, after some mothers give birth to goblin cubs, adult goblins kill the mothers for food. Horrible sight To the horror of all present, from the peaceful straits of the west to the bloody battlefields of the east, I have never seen a more disgusting creature.

"This tribe has a very strong ability to reproduce, and if it is left unchecked, the East and even the entire kingdom will fall into disaster.

"I also noticed a lot of puzzling about the way the goblins attacked the villages. The creatures made senseless attacks when the battle had been lost, a behavior that contradicted their existence and racial characteristics. . Their attack on the village is more like a tactical test than a survival attack. Unfortunately, I can't get more information as the upper species in the population have been killed. About them and the living corpse I will submit a detailed report after the attack occurs.

"Respected teacher, this horrific incident has made me extremely confused and worried. I think there is a deeper conspiracy behind it, and all this has not been taken seriously by the local authorities.

"As a soldier, I beg you to exert influence from the capital, and conduct a thorough slaughter and investigation of the local goblins. This group is not yet ready, and the eastern garrison still has room to spare. If we miss this opportunity, we may A hundredfold sacrifice will be made.

"Congratulations to you,
"Your student, Griffith Blanton."

After writing the text, Griffith estimated the date, attached a note for the appointment date, and put it away carefully.

"I'm going to the town hall to send a letter," the apprentice knight asked. "There can be information about Isis, if the official finds out his information."

……

In the town hall office, Griffith watched as the clerk took out a document.

"Isis's investigation work has been completed, second-level squad leader." The efficiency of the staff who received them was unexpected.

"So soon!" Griffith and the elves were in disbelief, "Have you found out his social relationship?"

"That's natural. Isis is the apprentice of the local resident mage, Lord Rudias. He fled two years ago for stealing precious extraordinary materials." The clerk flipped through the appendix in the document, "Even during the escape, he He also continually slandered the venerable resident mage. According to recent records, he was active in Bayeran at one point, but the authorities did not arrest him."

As Galadia flipped through the file, she tapped a blue crystal on her neckline.There was a rare flash of coldness and alertness in the agile eyes that seemed to be able to speak.

The clerk pulled his collar and moved to the edge of the chair.

"Has the Bureau of Investigation questioned Lord Rudias?" Griffith asked.

"Investigated, more than once," the clerk opened a document with a lot of black smears and handed it over, "Yesterday, an investigator came to check this document, you can take a look, although I don't think I can find anything. "

Griffith unfolded the document.Galadia, who was on the side, also poked her head.

"Records of the Investigation Concerning the Apprentice of Isis against Mage Rudias" (Summary)

"Investigators: Inspector Bolong of the 71st Sub-bureau in the Eastern Region, and Inspector Anglo the trainee.

"Secret level: ordinary. For the local branch to keep files for future reference.

"The following are the allegations and findings of the investigation:
"Isis, a human, male, a mage apprentice with mediocre qualifications, who did not study in an institution of higher learning. In December 1441, he reported to the local branch office, accusing Rudias mage of conducting forbidden black magic research. The research content is 【Information erasure】.

"After the investigation of the Rudias mage by the 71st sub-bureau, no evidence of the accusation of the crime was found. No residual black magic was detected in the mage tower stationed by the mage.

"Mage Rudias counter-sued Isis for stealing extraordinary materials and research results. The 71 branch also conducted an investigation. During the investigation, Isis disappeared. The stationed Mage did not explain the details of the stolen materials and research.

"Respected [information wiped] came to personally hear and investigate the content of the accusation, and no residual magic power of black magic was detected. The investigation was subsequently terminated, and the investigator recorded it and reported it to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

"Remarks: The case files of this investigation have been kept confidential, and an application to the Central Bureau of Investigation is required to view the case files."

(End of this chapter)