Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Homecoming

Holston Gate, which has long been a scenic spot in Luberk, was just completed in 1477 AD. Two red three-story round towers with gray conical roofs stand side by side, standing majestically in the snowflakes flying all over the sky. "Is it caused by psychological factors? I think the door seems to be tilted a bit, although only a little." Eric murmured suspiciously. The place where this gate was built was originally a damp area, the foundation was rather weak, and for military reasons, the wall on the east side was three times thicker than the wall on the west side.In later generations, the Holston Gate was completely tilted, but it did not fall, so it became a symbol of Ryubock and became widely known. As for Eric's time, the angle of tilt was still very slight, so slight that the phrase "psychological factor" would been taken over.

Eric mixed with Binz, the owner of the salt factory in Neweybrook, and returned to Lubek. The silver-gray water of the Travis River looked so nostalgic.Regardless of whether it is Germany, Russia, or even China, since ancient times, most ports have faced large rivers, and rarely faced the sea.As far as the Hanseatic city is concerned, Rüberk faces the Travis River, Hamburg faces the Elbe River, Kolon faces the Rhine River, Rostock faces the Volga River, Bremen faces the Besse River, Danz Xi faced the Swa River and Li Jia faced the Dauga River. Because the land is an endless low-lying terrain, when walking in the wild, sometimes a sail suddenly appears in front of the traveler, which scares the travelers—because the waterway flows through the plain in this way.More than two hundred years ago, the Mongolian army who plundered the eastern half of Europe with the force of a storm was blocked by the cavalry because of the waterway. They could only start fighting after the waterway froze in winter.

Eric was a little nervous going through Holston Gate, but he had a travel ticket officially issued by Newnebrook, and Binz was a well-known figure, so it was easy to enter the city. Binz's identity should not be underestimated, but the ability of Granny Huo Qi, who can order Binz at will, makes Eric even more speechless.When Eric came to Nunebrook and inquired about Binz's salt factory in front of the city gate, the guarding soldiers looked at him with puzzled eyes, but at the same time conveyed it to him immediately; Binz also received him immediately. At that time, in front of Eric was a building made of smelting tiles. The craftsmen were busy coming in and out, and the fog generated by the operation of the salt factory permeated the entire building. Binz received these people in a room inside. A first-time guest.

"What's your relationship with Grandma Huo Qi?" This is a natural question.Eric replied very cautiously, saying that he is a distant relative of Grandma Huo Qi. After his parents died, he was taken care of by Grandma Huo Qi. Now he came here according to Grandma Huo Qi's instructions. I wonder if Mr. Binz can help him arrange it. Go to Lubek. "If you can't do it, you have to do it. Anyway, I can't disobey that old woman." Binz murmured, put his hands on his hips, paced back and forth in the room, and then stopped to look at Eric. "The day after tomorrow, I'm going to Lubek to trade salt, so you can go with me as my... well, nephew."

"is it okay?" Eric tried his best to hide his inner surprise, and Binz showed him a smile mixed with regret. "Didn't I just say that? There's no way, I can't disobey Grandma Huo Qi. Well, this is the end of the matter, leave everything to me!" Eric suppressed the surge of curiosity and didn't ask any questions—because Binz didn't ask Eric any extra questions, so he could only do so, which was a kind of politeness.After all, everyone has their own story, and there are some things they don't want to say, right? In this way, Eric and the black cat Xiaobai joined the ranks of Binz and his party. This group includes businessmen, attendants and guards, and there are a total of fifty people in total.They lined up their horses and donkeys, used the daytime to travel, and once it got dark, they slept and rested.In addition to being allocated breakfast and dinner, Eric even enjoys a "non-open air" sleeping place; although he sleeps on the spot, this is already very fortunate.

Modernization means traffic safety. In the pre-modern society, traffic was not safe at all. Passers-by would be attacked by bandits or robbers when walking on the streets, and they might be poisoned and killed when they stayed in hotels, and then their travel expenses and luggage would be plundered; Beasts are infested, and there are also pirates who are eyeing the sea.Whether in Western or Eastern stories, the reason why the traveler must face crisis is, on the one hand, because this is the premise of the development of the story, but on the other hand, it is really because every journey is a series of crises.

The reason why the Hansa was established and the prestige of the Hansa swept across Europe was, in the final analysis, because as long as the Hansa flag was planted, the safety of the sea routes could be guaranteed-although it cannot be said to be foolproof, but due to the fact that the ships attacking the Hanseatic Foreign fleets or pirates will be wiped out so far. In comparison, the safety of Hanseatic has obviously improved a lot. There were also Flemish or French businessmen among Binz’s party, but there was no obstacle to communication with each other, because Low German was the common language around the Baltic Sea at that time; as for French or English, they were only applicable within each country.

England, where English originated, was at best a mid-level country in the northwest corner of Europe. Not only was it defeated in the Hundred Years War with France, but it was exhausted by the Rose War that divided the country into two, so it was legitimate to borrow money to survive. The recession era; and England's royal family was born in France, so the princes and nobles all speak French.Therefore, it is very common to use different languages ​​in the same country, because the meaning of existence of the country itself is not as positive and practical as the princely territory. Eric's identity is set to be Binz's nephew. He has lived in a foreign country for many years and tried to avoid talking with his fellow travelers along the way.A group of people traveled in the sluggish winter field, and it took five days to arrive in Ryubek.Row upon row of roofs and towering church steeples seem to deliberately highlight the existence of the city of Rubock.

At that time, in the Eastern world, there were metropolises such as Beijing and Suzhou with a population of 500,000 to over a million. In comparison, all European cities were extremely simple in terms of scale and facilities, even London and Suzhou. Paris has a population of less than 50,000; Rubek, known as the "Queen of the Hanseatic", has a population of only 30,000, and its competitor Hamburg has only 20,000. With such a slow development, it is no wonder that when Marco Polo introduced the metropolises of the Eastern world, he was ridiculed as "Marco bragging"; people living in poor and backward areas of Europe could not even imagine that "there are millions of people, forming a city from sunset to dawn." The metropolis scene of the "sea of ​​lights" - the total population of Europe was not large, but the Black Death (plague) pandemic in the 14th century caused the loss of one-third of the total population of Europe, and famines continued to occur during this period .In addition, because the harvest rate of wheat or barley is much lower than that of rice grain, there is basically no way to feed too many people, so the population development of Europe is not as good as that of the East.

Eric, Binz and his party passed in front of the city hall. The wall of the city hall was paved with glazed tiles, with a unique black-green color.That is the effect obtained by dissolving salt in cow's blood, soaking the refining tiles in it, and burning it several times. When you touch it with your fingertips, there is a subtle sticky feeling in the roughness, and it will be tightly adsorbed. skin. Counting from the voyage to Lithuania, Eric hadn't seen the city hall for two months.At this time, a feeling of nostalgia welled up in his heart like a small spring, and the taste of the chicken soup he had eaten in the restaurant on the basement floor of the city hall also revived in his mouth.

Binz and the others found a hotel at the corner of Mainer Road between the City Hall and the port.Since there were as many as fifty of them, and they were all powerful people from Lubek, they were regarded as honored guests at that time.The innkeeper rushed out from the entrance and greeted him respectfully.Eric didn't know him, but he still kept the brim of his hat down so that his face wouldn't be seen. Eric was led into a room with ten or so other men.He didn't have much luggage, and after making sure he had a quilt to sleep on, he immediately went to greet Binz and went out.Eric wanted to take a good breath of the air of Rubec, and also wanted to see Guzman's mansion.Xiaobai followed closely at his feet, as if trying to wrap his feet. Walking through the alley, seven or eight children were playing in the alley, and one child shouted loudly: "Are black people scary?" "Not scary!" While answering, the children let out strange cries and fled in all directions.The yelling boy ran after the others, and soon caught up with a slower-footed kid—they were playing ghost hunting. The so-called "black" in the mouth of the children refers to the "Black Death".Although the Black Death was brought under control in the fifteenth century, the plague was the most feared and loathed thing in medieval Europe before the fifteenth century.Europe in the 14th century was regarded as a dark age by posterity because of its origins. At that time, the epidemic of plague, repeated famines, and the ensuing massacre of Jews, these three major events painted the face of the 14th century into Total darkness. In this era, the coasts of the North Sea or the Baltic Sea, that is, within the Hanseatic sphere of influence, rarely saw Jews.They were legally excluded from Hanseatic business activities, and their off-site residence was restricted.Eric has no particular prejudice against Jews, but that may also be because he has no chance of contact with Jews, so there is no so-called prejudice problem. Eric pulled his collar and left the scene quickly.There seemed to be someone familiar among those children, if they were recognized by the other party and called him by name, it would be a big deal. Eric's shoes rattled on the slate.Although it is dangerous, it is great to be able to return to Ryubek. This slate not only has the history of Ryubock, but also engraves Eric's life-although it is an unattractive life at present. The black cat, Xiaobai, was at his feet, with sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, like a sentinel serving as a scout. Looking at the Hanseatic Merchant Hall from the front, you will find that the eight-character boards on the gable wall are not triangular, but stepped, which is the most obvious feature of Hanseatic-style buildings.The buildings here are generally three floors above the ground and one floor underground, but Guzman's mansion has five floors above the ground, which is taller than the houses on the left and right. "Looking at it now, Mr. Guzman's mansion is really extraordinary. Xiaobai has seen such a majestic house? I really want to live in this kind of house one day, not just like a clerk living in a company. Oh." Eric suppressed the excitement in his heart, and passed in front of the mansion as nonchalantly as possible.It is best to visit here after dark, as for before dark, go back to the hotel to pass the time and fill your stomach! After returning to the hotel, Eric and Binz had the most basic conversation similar to "nephew and uncle", while eating dinner with fish as the main food, and then left the hotel again. He thought of Guzman's mansion. Although it was a five-story mansion, the space occupied by the shops, offices and warehouses was very large, so the living space was very narrow. Guzman's family lived a simple and poor life in terms of food, clothing and housing. Europe became rich after the Age of Discovery. Europeans made their fortunes by conquering the lands inhabited by pagans and plundering their accumulated wealth. face. "Actually, you can go to sleep in front of the fireplace for a while without following me." Eric said to the black cat at his feet.Xiaobai answered him with a short cry: Since I was entrusted by Huo Qi's mother-in-law, I can't leave an immature brat like you alone - that's probably what it means? The cat with particularly strong night vision walked ahead, and the man followed behind. There were no street lights along the street, and the street was pitch black at night. European buildings did not generally install window glass until the end of the fourteenth century, but even within a hundred years after the windows were installed, every household would still paste oiled paper or parchment on the window glass during the day, and at night or when the wind and rain were strong. When the time comes, the shutters are closed—because although the windows can bring in sunlight and fresh air, they are also weak points in terms of protection against cold and theft, so even a "metropolis" like Rubock is still dark at night and looks like a Serene.Less than five steps away from the hotel, Eric's whole body was already shrouded in darkness, only Xiaobai's eyes were still shining like amber. Although this is the street where Eric was born and raised, he still has to pay special attention to the road conditions under his feet when he walks up the hills and slopes.Eric walked cautiously in the dark, and whenever someone else's footsteps sounded back and forth, he would stop and become nervous.He felt helpless for his nervousness, but until the truth came out and his innocence was proved, there was nothing he could do, because returning to Ryubek was already dangerous enough. Other cities will not welcome criminals expelled from a certain city. People who instigated a conspiracy against the councilor of a certain city, or who knew the facts but did not report them, other cities would not accept them as exiles. Cities that violate the above agreement will be excluded from the Hanseatic League. This was an important agreement to consolidate Hanseatic unity.If Eric was really expelled from Thiberk, he would not be able to live in various Hanseatic cities. Eric walked around to the back of Guzman's mansion, taking every step carefully, while adjusting his breathing, he came to the back door and stopped.The plan in Eric's heart is that as long as he waits in the dark for a while, he should be able to wait for the servant Shanna to appear at the back door - it is her responsibility to confirm the doors and windows of the back door at night. Eric prayed to the Virgin Mary, hoping that today will be no exception , because closing doors and windows is after all the habit of Hanseatic citizens, not just Rubek. After waiting for about an hour, there was finally a sound, and a faint light reflected the dark road, and a young woman wearing a large apron and a servant's hat appeared.If seen in bright sunlight, she should have pale rosy cheeks and hazel eyes; and her slender figure can still be discerned even at dusk. "Sanna." Eric called out.He was careful not to scare her, and walked into her sight. "...Eric!" Shanna looked at him blankly, her breathing became very short, and she whispered as if she was more surprised than frightened, "What are you doing here? People say you are an ungrateful Occupiers! Bruno and Magrus spread the word that you have betrayed Mr. Guzman who made you the captain, betrayed his trust, and fled with important goods!" "It's a lie, it's a lie from the beginning to the end!" Anger choked Eric's throat, and he felt that it was very difficult to even make a sound, "I'm not that kind of bad person, and I'm not ungrateful. How much do you You should know me a little bit, right? You should know if I would do that dirty thing!" "Well, I know a little bit." There was a sting in Shanna's tone, but it wasn't all that sharp.Although Eric doesn't strongly admire Shannah, he doesn't hate her; and Shannah knows it, at least she doesn't seem to repel him. Shanna is a pretty girl, but in terms of appearance, there are too many beauties who are more elegant and gorgeous than her. What Eric actually likes is Shanna's personality.When she took extra bread from the kitchen to some poor children, Eric felt very moved when she put her finger to her lips with a "shh--".But now is not the time to think about that kind of thing. "... That's it. I tried my best to climb up the Brodan Cliff, and Grandma Huo Qi saved my life." "Grandma Huo Qi!" "do you know her?" "I haven't seen her before, but I know her more or less. In fact, it should be said to be dubious. So she really exists? But, is she really Grandma Huo Qi?" "That's what she said. Even if she gave a false name, I don't know." "It's true. So, it turns out that Grandma Huo Qi also helps men? It's so strange." "What's the meaning?" "Grandma Huo Qi is the patron saint of women." According to Shanna, so far, hundreds of impoverished women have been rescued by the mysterious old woman who claims to be Granny Huoqi.It is said that many Jewish women, women who were suspected of being witches and were expelled, women who were pregnant but abandoned by men, and women whose property was robbed by relatives after the death of their husbands all ran to Granny Huoqi for help. , and start a new life. "Oh? So, isn't Grandma Huo Qi's house a 'sacred place of refuge'?" "That's it. I don't know why, but the lords and knights over there dare not harm her. Well, for us women, this is something to be thankful for." After hearing Shanna's words, Eric became more and more concerned about the real identity of Huo Qi's mother-in-law, but he has no time to investigate this matter now that he is insecure. "Let's get down to business, I was saved by Grandma Huo Qi. This black cat was raised by Grandma Huo Qi. She let this cat go with me. Can you believe me?" "This..." Shanna nodded vigorously as if she had made up her mind, "I didn't think you were the one who would commit such a heinous crime, I thought there must be something wrong... Ah, you But don't get too carried away, because I don't fully trust you." "I know, I will work hard in the future so that you can completely trust me." "Very well, if that's the case, then come in! Don't make any noise, the cat will come too." Shanna waved at them. In northern Germany in winter, all the scenery is shrouded in blue-grey. In contrast, the red coats of rich businessmen are so bright that people can't help but forget to breathe for a moment. Venus Guzman didn't come across as sharp as his red jacket, but he was a fifty-year-old man of perfect build and good looks.Under his thick gray eyebrows are embedded a pair of slightly cold green eyes, and the beard of the same color as the eyebrows also looks vigorous, and the whole person gives a strong and powerful feeling. Guzman took his eyes away from the documents on the table and rubbed his brows with his fingertips.The dim lighting made his eyes tired, and although he still wore them, they seemed not to be getting enough of them lately. The documents on the table were half parchment and half paper—Europe, which was 300 years behind China in development, also began to use paper at this time.But important contracts, notices or certifications were still written on parchment because it was considered sacred. Guzman looked at the furnace, the fire in the furnace was reduced a lot due to the cold air that quietly seeped in.In order to avoid causing a fire later, it would be better for him to rest after he stopped working and completely covered the firewood on the stove with ashes. Guzman walked to the fireplace, was about to pick up the heavy iron fire shovel, and stopped. "Mr. Guzman." A very deep voice called to him, and a figure stood in the dark doorway. "Eric!" Although Guzman's voice was sharp but low, Eric ran over and covered his master's mouth. "Yes, I'm Eric. Sorry to worry you." "how do you……" Guzman straightened his back, and instantly set his eyes on the fire shovel. Eric immediately understood what he meant—just in case, he wanted to find something that could be used as a weapon nearby—Guzman told himself Eric felt sorry for his wariness, but he was not surprised, because if what Shanna said was true, then it was only natural that Eric be treated as an ungrateful villain and be guarded carefully. "Ah, Mr. Guzman, I'm very sorry. I failed to repay Mr. Guzman's trust and shame my grandfather's spirit in heaven. My sin is very heavy, but I did not intentionally betray you, the person who violated the cargo It's Bruno, Maglus, and Metra!" Eric gasped for breath and finished speaking. After a short silence, Guzman made a painful voice: "Your grandfather, Grandpa Juhanis, often praised you. He said: My grandson knows boats very well, works hard, and most importantly, he is an honest and honest person. I sincerely believe in the words of Grandpa Juhanis, so in After the old grandfather died, I singled out all the opinions and promoted you to be the captain." "Mr. Guzman..." "However, you have to betray my trust a few times before you're willing to do so? You stole my ship and goods, and in the end you justified that you didn't do it. Do you want to pass the crime on to someone else!" Guzman's reprimand was like a whip on Eric's head, and Eric tried his best to raise his head-he was misunderstood by Guzman, even if he died, he would not rest in peace. "Please believe me, Mr. Guzman. If I betrayed my intentions and successfully achieved my goal, I would not deliberately return to Lubek now, but should live comfortably in a warm place in the south. The reason why I Risking my life to come back just because I want to declare my innocence!" Guzman's expression changed slightly, probably because he felt that Eric's defense was reasonable.But of course he won't let his guard down. "I'd like to see both your hands—yes, both hands out front, well, to see you don't seem to have anything. I hate to say it, but it's all right for me to lose my possessions, If I lose my life, I can't stand it." "I understand, and I appreciate you not calling someone out loud." "Then is there a way for you to convince me of your so-called innocence?" Eric reminded himself to be calm again and again, but he couldn't control his mood, so he said like a cannonball: "I didn't do anything. Really, it was Bruno and the others who invaded the amber on the boat. They tied me up and threw me into the sea! Fortunately, I swam to the shore and managed to save my life. !" "I can't believe your words. Why did none of the other six people who were thrown into the sea survive? Why were you the only one who was so lucky to be rescued?" Hearing this sentence, fear suddenly grabbed Eric's heart like an invisible cold palm, and he gasped and asked: "Six people... were all thrown into the sea?" "That's what I heard. Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, Bruno and the others said so. They said that you threw those six people into the sea and fled. Am I wrong?" "They're killing people!" Eric clenched his fists and kept trembling, Guzman frowned upon seeing this. "Eric, it is very easy to catch you and drag you to the gallows now, but your explanation does not seem to be entirely credible." "Mr. Guzman..." "Listen, I believe you—or I should say that I want to believe that I, who chose you, did not make a mistake in my judgment. But there are too few clues to judge now. You try to tell me as much as possible about what happened that night. I listen." Eric nodded, adjusted his breathing and heartbeat, and began to talk about that day as calmly as possible.He didn't mention the names of Grandma Huo Qi or Binz, and only said that he still didn't know the identity of the savior; other than that, he hoped to recall his memory in the most accurate way.He hesitated a bit later, but still said who he thought was the one who cut his rope at the last moment. "... That's it. I finally recovered from my injuries and came back to Rubock. I thought I should report to you." "I see, it's really interesting." Guzman let go of the arms that had been clasped all the time, and although he looked at Eric with extremely calm eyes, it could be seen that he was deliberately suppressing his feelings. "Can I gain your trust?" "The cause and effect make sense, but unfortunately, there is no evidence." "..." "You just find a place to wait, I want to take a moment to think about it. You don't think this is too much, do you?" "I get it, I'll take a step back and start over." "Where do you live?" Guzman's tone sounded very natural, and Eric almost followed his words to answer, and finally stepped on the brakes reluctantly. "Speaking out will cause trouble for others, so I can't say it. I will report it to you one day. Please let me keep it a secret today." After speaking, just like when he came, Eric disappeared without a sound, only a cat meow sounded somewhere.Guzman shrugged and looked in the direction of the next room. "Is that okay, Bruno?" A man appeared in response.It was a tall, deep-profile man in his late thirties with a slightly slender face and a neatly trimmed mustache. "Ah, it's okay. I almost burst out laughing a few times just now. It's really hard to hold back. Mr. Guzman is really good at acting." "I don't want to hear those words in your mouth, Bruno." "What a shame." The man—Bruno saluted his master respectfully, with a malicious smile like the famous "fox-like dish" on his mouth. "I didn't expect Eric to be alive. I saw a guy who looked like him near Holston Gate, but I didn't expect it to be him... Forget it, let Metra check his whereabouts first. Now! Everything will start at that time." "That's right. By the way, about that Metra, I just heard Eric say that the guy cut the rope in his hand. Is this true?" Bruno's eyes narrowed slightly. "This incident also surprised me a little. Well, although there is no evidence, I think it is probably true, right? First of all, there is no need for Eric to lie to Mr. Guzman; and it must be because his hands are free to move freely, So he can swim to the shore." "Why would Metra do such a thing?" "Let's think about this matter slowly, but do you know that Metra is dissatisfied with you now?" "dissatisfied?" "Because Metra has always believed that if Eric is not there, he can take over the land part of the work that Eric was in charge of before, but Mr. Guzman didn't say anything." Mr. Guzman's thick lower lip trembled violently because of anger, surprise and sneer at the same time. "People should be self-aware! I don't want to bet my store and property on a gamble that I will definitely lose. How can I leave accounting or business to Metra!" Hearing Guzman's roar, Bruno showed a pensive look. "So you mean Metra won't be given important jobs?" "of course!" "Very good. Yes, I think this is a correct judgment. There is no need to give anything to someone like Metra. But Metra himself doesn't think so, which is a bit troublesome." "What trouble?" "I mean, Metra would probably go crazy and do stupid things if she knew she wasn't getting paid for anything." "You mean he's going to threaten me?" Guzman's voice dropped. "Well, that Metra guy should do this—he should threaten to tell all the truth if he is not allowed to be the assistant manager." A shadow flashed across Guzman's face and then disappeared, and Bruno seemed satisfied with the effect of his words. "I have a suggestion here, which is to add a little correction to our original plan. What do you think?" "How to fix it?" "Restore Eric's reputation." Bruno's words were abrupt, but Guzman heard what he meant. "Are you saying that this incident was arranged to be Metra's mastermind, and Eric was designed to be a traitor?" "You are worthy of being a smart man." Bruno couldn't help but want to clap his hands and applaud, expressing his appreciation to Guzman. "But can you still find Eric as a partner now?" "Of course! As long as Eric and Metra fight each other and both lose, then we are just reaping the benefits?" Guzman tried to picture that scene in his mind, but he couldn't be so optimistic.He said coldly: "But will things go so smoothly?" "Just arrange the stage for them." "Even if the stage is set up, the actors may not follow our script." Bruno smiled—this man really can show thousands of different smiles, and his smile at this time seems to have the meaning of enlightening the other party. "Mr. Guzman, if there are two dead bodies lying on the stage, it's up to the audience to explain it, isn't it?" Guzman's eyebrows twitched.In the light of the faint flame that remained in the fireplace, a deep shadow cast an eerie cast around his eyebrows. "Bruno." "What's up?" "The six crew members really went to other cities, right?" Bruno looked Guzman's face again.The corners of his mouth raised slightly, and then he retracted his smile, and asked in a puzzled tone: "I don't understand why you have to confirm this matter now..." "answer my question." Bruno shrugged. "Yes! Yes! I will answer! I gave the six of them some money to move to another city. This is absolutely true. Apart from that, I have nothing else to say." "How much do you give them alone?" "Ten marks a person. It's silver. It's a waste to spend on them, but, well, it's gotta be kept quiet anyway." "Which city did they move to?" "One said they were going to Bremen, one was going to Cologne, and the other was going to Lijia. I forgot the others, but I told them to escape as far as possible. Does such a report reassure you?" "I don't want to shed unnecessary blood." "This kind of idea is really admirable... Ah, I'm not being sarcastic, it's because I know what you think, so I didn't cut off that guy Eric's head, just threw him into the sea, not even a drop of blood No flow." Before Bruno could laugh this time, Guzman interrupted him with a bitter voice: "So what's to be done with Eric now? If only he'd escaped somewhere after being rescued..." "And then we meet again in an unexpected place one day? Oh, Mr. Guzman, anyway, that guy wants to vindicate us for framing us. Now that he has appeared swaggeringly, we should take advantage of this opportunity." Guzman looked at the documents on the table with slightly gloomy eyes. "I don't trust you unconditionally, Bruno." "I know." Bruno waved his hand heroically, "I knew it from the beginning, and it's even more clear now. But leave the matter about Eric to me—unless you plan to do it yourself, of course it's another matter." Forget it." Guzman nodded silently, Bruno saluted artificially, and the tall figure left in a blink of an eye. When Bruno's back disappeared from view, Guzman sighed heavily. Will it be endless if it goes on like this?That night on the sea in the cold winter of the Baltic Sea, everything should be over, and nothing should happen on land.Bruno and the others should be the only ones who get their hands dirty, and Guzman doesn't have to see or hear anything dirty to get his way. But now it seems that things are still going on... Bruno adjusted his expression as he walked, and then went up the stairs.Although he was wearing heavy shoes, he didn't even make a sound of footsteps. "Are you there, Magrus?" He asked in a low voice, and the heavy door opened.His tall body deftly slid into the door, and the small heater warmed the narrow room. Bruno sat on the chair while thinking about when the wooden chimney would cause a fire, and said: "Eric is still alive." The huge master in the room reacted coldly. "Eric shouldn't be alive. He was thrown into the sea with his hands tied. How was he saved?" "That's the point. Magruth, if you could move your hands freely, would you be able to swim to the shore after jumping into the sea?" Magruth furrowed his bushy brows and scratched his ears with his thick fingertips. "It depends on the waves and wind conditions at the time, but you shouldn't be able to swim." "That night, there was a cliff of Brodin near the sea where our sloop was sailing. Is it possible to climb that cliff if you swim to the shore?" "It's difficult when the tide is high, because the waves will continue to hit the rocks; under normal circumstances, as long as you can swim to the shore, there should be a way. After all, the cliff is somewhat sloped, and grass and shrubs have grown." "Eric just figured out a way." Bruno briefly explained the matter to Magrus, and the previous conversation between Eric and Guzman was even more hasty. "...So, Eric, who survived by chance, seems to want to seek revenge on us." "There's nothing to worry about. No matter what that kid says, who still believes him now?" “没错，马格鲁斯。大概没有人会听艾力克的解释；然而一旦举行审判，被告就会有为自己辩解的机会，而且我们可能还得站上证人席。” “不管我站在哪里，我都会作证说艾力克带着琥珀逃跑了。” “嗯，在证人席上你应该不会显得笨拙或狼狈吧，而我也一样。但是另一个人呢？” 马格鲁斯面露不悦之色深思着布鲁诺的弦外之音，然后显得更为不悦。 “所以我一开始就反对把梅特拉扯进来，他不但帮不上什么忙，反而会扯我们后腿！” “就是这样，马格鲁斯。” “同样的事情别来是重蹈覆辙，我觉得好像被当成傻瓜一样。” “真是抱歉。所以，梅特拉是我们计划中的一个弱点。不过也就是因为他个性中的弱点，才背叛了对他恩重如山的艾力克。” 布鲁诺把玩着手掌上一个大纪念章。哪时瘟疫流行时的纪念章，用银铸造而成，上面有一个拿着大镰刀的黑衣人。他似乎很喜欢这个东西。 “梅特拉一开始背叛了艾力克，第二次却背叛了我们，我们无法保证这是不是最后一次，奇妙的是……”布鲁诺扬起嘴角传出不怀好意的笑声，“奇妙的是，有时候会反复发生三次。但是不知道为什么，从来不会刚好两次就停止——就算有，那也是因为背叛者在第二次背叛之后，就永无办法再做同样的事情了。” 马格鲁斯从鼻腔哼出气。 “总之你的意思是，如果放着不管，梅特拉还会背叛？” “没错，就是这样，我一直相信那家伙还会背叛，只要有机会的话。” “既然如此，那马上动手如何？” 马格鲁斯一边说着一边径自喝着啤酒，布鲁诺倒也不要求分些酒来喝。 “那家伙确实是背叛了，问题在于下一次他会背叛谁？那小子对所有的人不忠，下次遭殃的会是谁？是可怜的艾力克、是古斯曼、是我、还是你马格鲁斯？” “直接去问那家伙如何？” 马格鲁斯的话听来有理，但是布鲁斯却露出苦笑。 “不巧这在他身上是行不通的，因为梅特拉这家伙自己也不知道该背叛谁好，就算问了也是得不到答案。” "Is that right?" “嗯，因为梅特拉那家伙并不是精心计划之后才行动的，他背叛艾力克或者欺骗我们都没有什么特别的理由。这样说很奇怪，但我是这么认为。” 布鲁诺微微露出烦躁的表情。对这个男人而言，这大概是很难得出现的表情吧？ 老实说，你比梅特拉那家伙好处理多了。梅特拉那家伙根本没有什么思考逻辑可言，所以根本猜不出他会做出什么事情——布鲁诺当然没有把这番话说出口，他在心中自言自语，嘴上说出完全不同的台词： “关于梅特拉我还要事先声明一点，就是分红，那家伙会分得六百马克。” “六百马克？那已经足以购买一艘十人的单桅帆船了！而且是新的，有完整装备的船！” 马格鲁斯发出呻吟，布鲁诺敏锐的扬起右嘴角。 “给梅特拉那笔钱太可惜了吗？” "Don't you feel sorry?" “嗯……说的也是。其实也可以只给梅特拉一百马克，剩下的你我对分；但是我们这样决定，只怕梅特拉会不高兴吧？”不等马格鲁斯回答，布鲁诺又继续说，“所以，马格鲁斯，如果给他二百五十马克的分红，你认为怎样？” 马格鲁斯不悦的摇摇头。他本来就不是一个和蔼可亲的人，现在的表情更加狰狞。 “我可不想以后还要受雇于人。分到钱之后，我希望能够独立出来，我要买一艘单桅帆船，就算小也没关系，然后以独立船东的身份在罗斯托克或丹兹希一带重新出发。” “好积极的梦想啊。” “倒是你有什么打算？” “要讨论梦想是无所谓，但是现在我更想先听你关于艾力克的事怎么想。他还活着，而且人在琉伯克，我们万万不能置之不理。” “他在琉伯克的什么地方？” “我派人去跟踪他了，今晚就可以知道。” “要袭击他住宿的地方吗？” “我不想在市内引起太大的骚动，把他引到没有人的地方会比较理想一点吧？此事不宜轻举妄动，反正那家伙一定还会来找古斯曼，在此之前只要雇人看住他就行了。” 马格鲁斯却有不同的看法： “刻意雇人看住他有什么意义？只会多了知道秘密的人。” “我们没有必要把秘密说出来。有钱能使鬼推磨，到处都有不问理由就原意帮我们处理掉眼中钉的人。” “浪费钱！” 马格鲁斯斩钉截铁的批评，布鲁诺带着充满兴趣和嘲讽的视线看着他那满是胡子的脸。 “浪费钱？有道理，马格鲁斯，有道理。可是如果不这么做，谁来封住艾力克的嘴啊？” “我一个人就绰绰有余了。”马格鲁斯的声音中充满了自信。