Chapter 31 Dionysus Festival 09
Hearing the voice, Rhine turned around and responded:
"Good morning, Miss Draka. You seem to be in a good mood today."
Zhu Yu smiled and said, "Because I received some clues about the smuggling of alcohol on the black market, the plague case in the West District finally has some clues."
"What?" Rhine's expression was excited. "Really? Is the news reliable?"
Zhu Yu: "Of course. With these clues, I think we don't need to set up an ambush for this operation. I will sort out the clues later and send them to everyone for review."
Rhine wanted to ask a few more questions, but suddenly realized that the person in front of him was not only of noble birth, but also a Knight of Light... Perhaps she could access information that ordinary people could not.
He was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "That's great."
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Captain Rhine, Zhu Yu returned to his office, sorted out the letters, account books, wine storage locations and contact records related to black market smuggled liquor that Betty had collected from the Governor's Mansion this morning, sealed them in documents, and handed them over to the relevant law enforcement officers of the Tribunal.
The efficiency of the court was indeed high. In the afternoon, news came that a group of people involved in the case had been quickly arrested.
After Zhu Yu learned the news, he immediately went to the detention center with Captain Rhine to check it out.
In the holding cell, there was a familiar face - it was the black-clad leader who had sneaked into her wine cellar last night and reported the situation to the Archon.
“…This case actually involves so many people from the Inquisition.”
Looking through the list of arrested persons, Rhine lowered his voice, his eyes full of shock.
"Leso, you are also involved in the black market smuggling of liquor?"
He looked at the man in black with his head down in the detention room in disbelief. His throat seemed to be blocked by something. After a long while, he murmured:
"We always thought you were a reliable and responsible field captain... but you not only did this behind our backs, but you also forged the attendance records and changed your name to mine and other law enforcement officers' names. Are you trying to put the blame on us?"
At this point, his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Zhu Yu stood beside him, looking calmly at the people in the detention room with his eyelashes lowered.
If Captain Rhine knew that not only his colleague Resor, but also the governor of this town, Albert, was colluding with the mysterious forces and making crazy profits by stepping on the lives and blood of civilians, I wonder what kind of disappointment would appear on his face? Collapse, anger, or complete silence?
She didn't say anything, but just silently retracted her gaze and said in a calm tone:
"Captain, the follow-up handling of this case is now in your hands. I have something else to do here, so I have to leave first."
The "something" Zhu Yu mentioned was not an excuse, but something really urgent.
Just now, she received a message from 996 in her brain.
Thanks to the successful containment of the plague in the West End with secret ale a few days ago, her Golden Cup Tavern officially passed the preliminary selection and entered the final round of the Dionysus Festival.
This news came somewhat suddenly, but it was also reasonable.
She had saved hundreds of lives with barrels of her special ale, a feat that spoke for itself.
Now she needs to set off for the city of Iros to compete with other taverns from all over the world for the highest prize of the Dionysus Festival.
After returning to the mansion, Zhu Yu packed up simply and prepared to leave.
She did not bring Betty on this trip, but left her in the town of Arce to continue monitoring the actions of Governor Albert and stabilize the situation that she had taken over at this stage.
Before leaving, she handed Betty a letter with a detailed contingency plan and gave her a few more instructions before leaving the town and embarking on the journey to Ilos City.
***
The city of Iros, located on the banks of the fjord, is an ancient wine city built on the mountain.
The early summer sun shines on the red brick and slate streets in the city, and the breeze blows through the towering grape trellises and the colorful flags hanging in front of each tavern.
From a distance, the whole city looks like a jar of good wine that has been brewed for a long time but has not been opened, which makes travelers from afar involuntarily feel excited.
At the city gate stands a statue of the god of wine, Iros, with a bronze wine jug held high. A stream of wine carved into it meanders down, sprinkling towards the world like a blessing.
The city is already filled with a strong festive atmosphere.
A week before the Dionysus Festival, representatives from taverns from all over the country had arrived in the city of Iros.
The winemakers wore winemaking robes or workshop uniforms of various styles, and some pushed carts loaded with wine barrels, while others proudly entered the city surrounded by waiters, their expressions full of confidence and fighting spirit.
The list of participants and procedures for this year's Dionysus Festival were posted on the streets and alleys. The names of taverns from all over the country were listed, attracting many people to stop and watch.
After Zhu Yu arrived in Ilos City, he was arranged to stay temporarily in a Brewing Guild Hotel near the city center.
Because of her public identity as a Knight of Light and the fact that the tavern she worked in was shortlisted for the title of "Secret Ale That Cures Plague", her arrival naturally attracted a lot of attention.
Zhu Yu receives various invitations every day, from wine tastings to winemaking exchanges to private banquets, which are almost continuously delivered to the door of the hotel where she is staying.
However, unlike those contestants who are keen on showing off, Zhu Yu has never personally held a wine tasting event of his own.
On the one hand, the wine she participated in the competition was special and not a traditional type of wine. On the other hand, there were no cases of plague in the city of Ilos so far. She couldn't go to the next city to invite an infected person to "taste wine" on site, otherwise she would be driven out of the city in the next second.
In comparison, the other contestants seem much more high-profile.
A few days ago, Zhu Yu was invited to attend an open-air banquet hosted by "Qingfeng Winery".
This winery is located on the northern hillside of Iros City, and its most famous wine is "Summer Branches and Evening Dew".
It is a light white wine made from early-ripening green grapes. It has a sweet and sour taste, with a hint of lemon and grass. It is suitable for drinking with light cheese or grilled vegetables in the early summer afternoon.
The owner of the winery is a smiling middle-aged woman named Lisa Merlot. It is said that her family has a winemaking history of more than three generations and is a strong competitor in every Dionysus Festival.
The next day, she went to the underground wine cellar appreciation meeting of "Gray Tower Wine House".
It was a niche pub with a very different style. The entry was called "Kiss of the Fire Snake", a black cherry liquor that had been aged in oak barrels for a long time. The liquor was dark red, spicy and thick. It felt like a burning flame when you took a sip, but it left an unexpectedly sweet aftertaste in your throat.
It is rumored that this wine has a slight hypnotic effect and is suitable for drinking alone at night after being slightly drunk.
The cocktail party that night was held in the air of candlelight and incense, with even an impromptu singing by a bard, which brought the atmosphere of drunkenness to the extreme.
In every wine tasting event that Zhu Yu participated in, while enjoying the unique flavor of each wine, he also remembered to keep each wine's work in mind.
It's another tipsy summer night.
The moonlight was intoxicating, and lit wine lamps hung on the vines on the street corners, casting pale golden light and shadows on the bluestone road.
Zhu Yu yawned and staggered back to the house where he was staying with the help of 996, with a lingering smile on his lips.
"...These past few days have been the most relaxing time for me since I entered this dungeon." She supported her forehead with one hand, letting the night wind blow through her temples, ruffling the bun that Maggie had meticulously combed for her.
There were no secret societies or plague in Ilos. The people here were warm and forthright, and the streets were filled with the aroma of baked bread and sweet wine. The nights were also more lively than elsewhere - people toasted and laughed on the streets, and talked about the legend of the god of wine around the fountains and long tables.
996 helped her walk while sighing helplessly:
"I told you not to drink so fast...your eyes were wandering when you drank the third glass."
Zhu Yu smiled and snorted, then leaned lazily against the door and did not move:
"But today's cranberry wine is really delicious..."
Zhu Yu murmured drunkenly, his voice so soft that it seemed to melt into the night.
"It's like fresh berries just picked in the summer, which are then put into the cool mountain spring water. When you take a sip, it tastes sour, sweet and icy..."
As she spoke, she licked the corner of her lips, as if the fruity scent was still lingering there for a long time.
996 listened to the drunken chatter of the person next to him, and his eyes could not help but fall on the corner of her slightly parted lips. It was the color of someone who had just drunk alcohol, with a little bit of soft blush, and under the light it looked like a mist of cranberry wine, which made people dizzy. That kind of color should not belong to the category that can be defined by data and algorithms, but it made him lose the response of the language module for a short time.
At this moment, 996 felt something strange. It was as if something imperceptible had gently tugged at the edge of his consciousness data.
He immediately turned his eyes away, and the temperature of the voice output interface rose slightly.
"Walk faster, don't let the wind make you more drunk."
He urged in an unnatural tone, quickened his pace, and half-supported and half-helped the person back to the mansion.
Back in the house, Zhu Yu took a shower, changed into light and clean home clothes, and walked out of the bathroom with brisk steps, with water still dripping from the ends of his hair.
She lazily fell on the sofa, picked up the hangover soup cooked by 996, took a sip, and sighed comfortably.
She was swinging her legs and was about to take a nap when she saw Maggie walk in with a stack of letters.
"Miss, there is another new invitation."
Zhu Yu perked up slightly, put the soup bowl aside, and asked expectantly:
"Which pub is this time?"
"Not the pub." Maggie handed her the top letter.
The silver snake-patterned sealing wax glowed coldly under the lamp.
"This time, it's a bartender's invitation. She doesn't represent any faction in the competition. She is one of the special judges of the Dionysus Festival. She has arranged a one-on-one custom cocktail dinner for you."
"Bartender?" Zhu Yu raised his eyebrows slightly.
Maggie nodded and added, "This bartender is very famous in the circle. He is said to be best at mixing 'spiritual wines.' The invitation also includes three tastings of the wines that will be served at the private dinner."
Zhu Yu: "What are they?"
Maggie flipped through the accompanying wine list and read:
"'Cursed Spirit Bone Wine', 'Eye of the Prophet', and 'Dream Whisper of the Canglin'."
The crisp sound of the spoon falling into the bowl was particularly clear in the silent room.
Zhu Yu's smile faded a little instantly, and he suddenly became much more sober.
In the eyes of others, these wine names may just be unique in style and novel in name, but she has not forgotten her true identity in this copy.
She immediately recognized that the names of the three wines corresponded to the three major categories of wizards: "Curse Wizard", "Prophecy Wizard" and "Natural Wizard".
She lowered her eyes and stared at the invitation letter, her fingertips slowly stroking the silver snake pattern.
"…Maggie, go check this bartender's background. As soon as possible."
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