Chapter 59 Journey
Andrei had previously insisted on becoming a sword in the king's hand in order to search for the enemy who killed his mentor. Now that he has fought with the enemy and has grasped certain clues, taking root in the west city of Eston will be more conducive to the investigation.
Although the Drodana Chamber of Commerce tried hard to clear itself of suspicion this time, blaming everything on its own flawed business practices and the unidentified merchants who had infiltrated the chamber, Andrei was no rookie knight who could be easily fooled by such an excuse.
He simply pretended to believe the Drogana Chamber of Commerce, superficially closing the case hastily, but in reality, he handed the investigation over to the shadow detectives to complete in secret. Only in this way could he reassure the Drogana Chamber of Commerce, making them mistakenly believe that the storm had passed and that they only needed to endure it temporarily before returning to their old business.
It took the Drodana Chamber of Commerce a long time to spread its tentacles across the country. Since Andrei did not show any obvious suspicion or willingness to continue the investigation, they would not suddenly cut off their own arms, lose their business and base, and get into trouble, and simply attract suspicion that had already dissipated.
Andrei sat by the campfire, holding his sword, his back against the folded snack stand box, thinking about his next plan before falling asleep.
After becoming the mayor of West Eston, he gained legitimate access to the various transaction records of all the city's chambers of commerce. Commercial taxes were a major source of income for all nobles in this era. While tax officials, with their current capabilities, could not accurately and comprehensively record every transaction at every shop, they would assign tax officials to conduct on-site audits of such large-scale entities as chambers of commerce.
The Chamber of Commerce's accounts, which involve taxes, are meticulously recorded by the tax officer. One copy is kept in the archives, and another is sent to the City Lord's Mansion for the Lord's review. Of course, these accounts aren't completely accurate, and some amounts may be subject to human or accidental errors, but they can still reveal clues.
The specific amount wasn't Andre's primary concern; the frequency of transactions was. If Evil Eye Moon was connected to the Drodana Chamber of Commerce, various transactions would inevitably occur between the two parties to transfer funds, supplies, and intelligence. These transactions were so large that they couldn't simply disappear. They would simply be quietly recorded in the accounts in some form, concealing their existence.
I'll ask Winchester Clerk to check this out. The detective who replaced Winston seems to be quite good at accounting as well...
As Andre thought about these boring questions, his eyelids gradually became heavy. He took a warm nap by the campfire, and then took over the shift with Jericho at one o'clock in the morning, and kept watch peacefully until dawn.
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Jiang You happily woke up to the chirping of birds. She rolled a few times on the soft floor and buried herself deeply in the quilts and blankets that perfectly supported her skeleton. She stayed there for half an hour, feeling both nostalgic and empty-headed, before struggling to break free from the quilt.
"Ah, it turns out that I can't escape the seal of the quilt in any world... Fortunately, I only have a bed board in the brewing workshop, which won't hinder me from getting up." The lazy lich reflected deeply on his laziness, then turned over and fell into the clutches of the quilt again, and finally succumbed to sleep for another hour.
By the time she was fully awake and crawled out of the tent, it was already bright outside. However, the forest by the lake blocked out a lot of sunlight. Coupled with the cold lake water, the morning air was particularly cool and moist, causing her, a skeleton who was not sensitive to temperature, to shiver.
An unbearable damp chill rose from her bones. Jiang You hurriedly got into the carriage and put on the cloak given by Andre. When she got out of the carriage again, the black-haired knight stuffed another cup of hot bark tea into her bony claws.
She took a sip, and the steaming soul fire wafted into her mouth. The bark tea had a complex, multi-layered flavor. Jiangyou smacked her lips, tasting notes of tangerine peel, lemon, and some strange Chinese herbal remedy. As the hot soul fire tea went down her throat, the chill in her bones gradually dissipated.
Andrei stuffed another ration into her hand and, together with Jericho, quickly packed up the tent where Jiangyou was sleeping. "The weather isn't great today. It looks like it's going to rain. We need to hurry and get to the capital."
Jiangyou dazedly chewed her dry rations, watching the knights and their attendants quickly pack up their gear and stuff it into the cargo compartment at the rear of the wagon. Only then did she realize the entire camp had been tidied up, the bonfires thoroughly extinguished, and the horses harnessed back to the wagons, ready to go at any moment.
So, although he was completely unable to help, Jiangyou cooperated very well and got into the carriage, happily enjoying his breakfast.
After a while, Andrei also got into the carriage. He had been on guard for most of the night and needed a little sleep. The next section of the road was close to the capital and the magic academy, and was usually patrolled by the kingdom's knights, so it was very safe.
Diego joined the horses pulling the cart, which increased their speed significantly.
So Jianyou and Andre sat opposite each other, Jianyou munching on the Soul Fire Biscuits while Andre leaned back on the sofa and took a nap.
The black-haired knight is always easy-going, probably because he has adapted to military life since he was a child. He will eat when he should eat and sleep when he should sleep. No matter how difficult the conditions are, he will complete these things as if they were tasks.
After finishing his breakfast, Takumi Yuu rested his jaw on his shoulder and quietly gazed at the stunningly handsome black-haired knight for a moment, resting his nonexistent eyes. Andrei's handsome looks and beautiful physique had always been within Takumi Yuu's reach, and as they spent more time together, he found his personality quite endearing—steadfast, reliable, and possessing a soldier's natural loyalty and self-discipline.
Even if he was just quietly taking a nap against the wall of the carriage, he could give people a wonderful sense of security.
Before she knew it, she felt sleepy and yawned slightly. She glanced out the car window and saw dark clouds and a gentle rain outside.
She moved to the front of the carriage, opened the small window that allowed her to communicate with the driver, and glanced at Jericho. The guardian spirit had somehow changed into a waterproof raincoat—though from the outside, it probably looked more like a European-style straw raincoat—and was still driving the carriage diligently.
The roads were slippery in the rain, but under Jericho's deft control, the horses ran steadily. Jericho noticed Takumi and said, "The rain is getting heavier. We need to get to the inn up ahead as soon as possible to take shelter."
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