Chapter 102: Old Friend (Part 1)
After the Bone Lich finished communicating with the deputy captain of the Knights, he took the two little witches and hurriedly carried the shrimp cages to the warehouse to prepare for opening the store in the evening.
Since they were planning to open a branch in the Witch's Forest, they had to train Meili as its head chef. Jiangyou planned to have Meili cook with him for the next two nights. Their main dish was crayfish, which was both simple and complex, yet also had a lot of variations.
But Jianyou thinks Meili is very talented. With two days of hands-on teaching, Meili should be able to handle things on her own. Maybe Jianyou can even free up some time to have fun and stroll around the night market!
As soon as they returned to the warehouse, the owner of the vegetable stall came over attentively. He brought Jiangyou a lot of vegetables for her to choose from, including many juicy and crisp green cucumbers. Jiangyou broke off one, absorbed the soul fire and tasted it, and the fire in her eyes suddenly lit up: "Delicious! Sweet, thirst-quenching and crispy. It's perfect as a side dish for braised crayfish or smashed cucumbers!"
So she immediately bought the cucumbers and also picked out a lot of big red tomatoes and yellow sweet potatoes. After paying, she slapped her forehead and said, "Oh, cucumbers won't taste good without vinegar!"
Jiangyou didn't make rice vinegar, but he did brew plenty of green plum vinegar at home, with several jars stored in the workshop kitchen. It was just heavy, and Jiangyou, preoccupied with selling soy sauce, didn't bother bringing it along. Now that I think about it, stir-fried potatoes with green plum vinegar might not be very tasty, but the fruity aroma of the green plum vinegar mixed with the cucumber is a perfect summer treat!
Thinking of this, Jiang You suddenly looked up at the village entrance. Seeing Andrei about to mount his horse, he immediately broke free and galloped away: "Wait, wait! Andrei!"
Andrei had sharp eyes and ears, and he heard Jiang You's shouts from a long distance away. He pulled the reins and said seriously, "What's going on? Is there something wrong again?"
The lithe skeleton ran over quickly, shouting, "Vinegar! Green plum vinegar! Bring me a few jars to mix with cucumbers tonight!"
Andre couldn't help but raise his hand to wipe his face: "...No, you rushed here in a panic, just for this?"
"What do you mean just for this? Vinegar is very important!" the lich said righteously. "Green plum vinegar is in the kitchen, easy to spot! It's the one with the tangy sour smell! Bringing a jar here should be enough~!"
"Okay." Andre looked at the sky. It was still afternoon, and there were still several hours before the night market opened in the evening, enough time for them to go back and forth. "Then I'll be leaving."
"Come back soon~ Remember to be jealous!"
The words sounded too subtle, and passersby who didn't know the truth couldn't help but cast subtle glances at him. The skeleton was completely oblivious to this, and turned around to hum happily as he went to the meat stall to stock up: "Beef shank, beef tendon, beef brisket~ I wonder if there's any fat callus hanging dragon five-flowered toe~ Hey!"
The lich came and went quickly, so he didn't notice the Winchester clerk who was riding another chestnut mare beside the knight. The Winchester clerk smiled softly and said, "What an interesting little girl~"
Andrei glanced at him warningly and said, "Let's go."
His calves gently squeezed the horse's belly, and Diego understood. He easily stretched out his long legs and pulled the cart behind him carrying the prisoner's body.
In the morning, Andrei had led the kingdom's knights to inspect the scene where the two prisoners committed suicide and conducted a preliminary examination of the bodies. However, according to the procedures of the case, the two bodies had to be sent to the coroner's office in Eston West City as soon as possible for autopsy.
In this era, the coroner was often a local orb-beak doctor or magician in each city, and their skills varied widely. Some, like Charles de Nome, had already discovered the existence of microorganisms like bacteria and viruses and had a thorough understanding of the human body, while others were still at the stage of practicing shaman dances, burning incense, and praying. Fortunately, the coroner of Easton West City was also a senior orb-beak doctor and magician, a bold and careful person who was very reliable in his work.
The two bodies of the prisoners had been wrapped into human-shaped cocoons by the apprentice knights with clean white cloth, and then wrapped in several layers of waterproof cloth and placed on a cart. This would ensure that the evidence would not be lost along the way and could arrive at the coroner's clinic intact.
According to the procedure, transporting the corpse requires a commander of the kingdom's knights and a witness clerk, so this task fell on Andre and Winchester's chief clerk. As for the two apprentice knights, they were responsible for staying behind to patrol and prevent other cases from happening in the witch village.
Andre had no objection to this. On the way back, he and the Winchester clerk were the only two living people around, which made it convenient for him to ask questions indirectly.
Ever since Andre arrived at Eston West City to report, the Winchester clerk's attitude towards him was very strange - he was overly attentive to Andre, but was also highly valued by Baron Neumann, so this inexplicable and sudden attentiveness seemed to have other intentions. In addition, the two prisoners suddenly died in the early morning after being interrogated by the Winchester clerk last night... All these signs were enough to arouse Andre's suspicion.
After the two prisoners died, Andrei began to suspect a mole within his own Knights of the Kingdom. After all, the entire incident seemed to be the work of Baron Augustin von Neumann, so it was only natural that someone would clean up the mess for him.
Andre had previously eradicated several corrupt members of the royal family for His Majesty the King. This time, when he accepted the task assigned by His Majesty the King, he learned a lot about the deeds of Baron Augustin von Neumann.
This baron was different from the fringe-bred dandies André had dealt with before, all of whom were full of flaws. Augustin von Neumann was a venomous snake that lay dormant. He was meticulous and never took risks. He would not rashly tear his enemies apart unless he was absolutely sure of success.
He only wears a mask of kindness, pretending to be a good brother on the surface, but secretly orders his subordinates who can be abandoned at any time to keep testing. No matter how much trouble there is, he can get himself out of it cleanly and stay out of it.
Once he finds the opponent's fatal weakness, this poisonous snake will attack with lightning speed, and will hit the target with one blow, and will never leave his opponent any chance.
The Baron is sinister, treacherous, and has a dagger hidden behind his smile, but if Andre is careful enough, he can collect enough evidence of his crimes in the early stage when both sides are at peace and the Baron has not yet shown his fangs.
——Yes, evidence of guilt.
Andrei accepted the King's assignment because he had uncovered the complex and often inexplicable relationship between Baron Augustin van Neumann and Evil Eye Moon. If Andrei could uncover the Baron's hidden secrets, he would be able to track down Evil Eye Moon and avenge his mentor, Count Saka, who tragically died at her hands!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
