The Book of Hibernation

Winter Thistle returned to the mansion in the middle of the night, went to the laboratory first, then went to Ryan's room to help him pack his things, and finally returned to the room to rest.

He stood in front of the mirror, looking at the dark blue robe on his body.This look really looks like that.

After washing and resting, Dongji lay on the bed and remembered the conversation with Aldin in the carriage.

As he thought about it, his thoughts gradually drifted to his younger brother.Ryan should be in the warehouse at the dock at this time.I don't know if the night is safe, if I have encountered thieves, if the other people in the warehouse get along well, and if I can take turns to take a nap during the duty...

Early in the morning, Ryan finished his overnight guard work and returned to the mansion.

There are more soldiers in the dock area during the day and fewer at night, so these full-time guards are on the contrary, all of them are on duty at night and take turns to rest during the day.

The servant led Ryan and took him directly to Kanai's study.

Kanai explained that if there is no special situation, just report to him briefly in the morning, and there is no need to bother Aldin.In Ryan's understanding, it was because Aldin was busy with affairs and had no time to manage small things; only Kanai understood that it was because his elder brother always went to bed late and woke up late, and the morning was the time when he slept most soundly.

Nothing happened last night, and Ryan also reported very briefly.Kanai watched the little knight while drinking black tea, always felt that he was a little flustered, not as calm as he verbally expressed.

Kanai sat him down for a conversation and asked if he was worried about anything.

Ryan scratched his hair, and said a little embarrassedly: "The pier is fine, I... I just think... those caravan bodyguards are a bit like bad guys."

Kanai almost laughed out loud. "Like a bad guy", this expression is like a child's language, it really doesn't seem to come from the mouth of an adult knight boy.

"How exactly do they 'like the bad guys'? Tell me about it," Kanai asked.

Kanai spoke with a smile on his face, but Ryan didn't know it was a mockery, and thought it was because Kanai was generous and not angry.

As a result, Ryan became more confident: "Among the people guarding the warehouse together, two of them were temporarily recruited like me. They are all fine, and there is nothing strange about them, but the four caravan bodyguards are a bit strange. Yes. I heard that they are caravans from the islands, but their looks and clothes are not like the island peoples, but they are like the natives of Shandonia. The weapons they bring are scimitars and daggers, and they also bring whips. I can recognize that it is not a whip for driving cattle, but a light punishment whip. The leader of the team has tattoos on his neck, arms, and chest. The tattoos are very evil. There are some graffiti depicting demons, and some are not suitable for display. body parts of the opposite sex... Also, his hair is cut short to less than a finger's width, but he wears a comb and a suede hair tie. It's not that I want to peek, it's that he showed it when he was arranging his pocket."

Kanai asked, "Hmm. So why does this seem like a bad guy to you?"

Lane said gravely, "I think they look like slave traders."

"why?"

"Winter Thistle and I have met other slave traders during our journey. They often travel long distances to the southeast sea and the other side of the northwest mountains. These places are either hot and humid or windy and sandy, so many slave traders will They cut their hair very short. The whips they bring are not animal husbandry supplies, but torture tools specially designed for beating people. Also, they will carry some things such as hair ropes and combs with them, because slaves are unkempt along the way. Before the transaction, the hair of the slaves should be tied up to make them look healthy and neat, so that they can be sold. In addition to these, the large area of ​​tattoos and their appearance are also very uncomfortable... I don’t discriminate against this appearance, Rather... rather... Ms. Baitian, if you see it yourself, Mrs. Kanai, you will understand."

Kanai made an expression of incomprehension: "If you talk about tattoos, Aldin also has them. If you want to talk about whips, Aldin and many businessmen in Harbor City usually wear them. This is just a local habit in Harbor City, and it is a manifestation. It is an ornament of status, not a weapon. If you are interested in this aspect of customs, I can tell you about it later. As for clothing and appearance, many people who do business on the island are from Sandonia. Not necessarily island residents. There are also combs and hair ties... Have you ever thought that if a man has a girlfriend during the trip, the woman will give him some small tokens that are not worth much. Compared with this, there is another More reasonable answer - the man's hair was recently cut short. As you said, his hair was less than half a finger long. It is likely that he used to use a comb and hair tie, and then he went to a When I went to the island, I was so hot that I shaved off all my hair before returning."

"But..." Ryan lowered his head and frowned.What Kanai said made sense, but he felt that his observation was correct.

Kanai sighed and said, "Then let me ask you. What is the cargo you are guarding?"

"I don't know. The goods are in boxes, and the boxes are all locked and sealed, and they haven't been opened halfway."

"Do you think there are humans in it?"

Ryan thought for a while: "It shouldn't be... After all, human beings have to eat, drink, and go to the toilet, even if they cover their mouths, they will make noise." He thought to himself, if transporting a living person, it is impossible for the box to remain open for such a long time, even if Luckily, it was a dead body, and there should be a stench along the way.

Kanai said: "I don't know why you think those bodyguards are slave traders. Even if they are, or they were, but this time the goods they guard are obviously not slaves. So, what are you worried about?"

Ryan still felt something was wrong, but couldn't say it out of his mouth.After all, he only had a slight doubt, not witnessed the slave trade scene.

Ryan learned the common sense of various countries in the temple. Sandonia prohibits slave trading, but some tribes on the island allow the trading of living people.He silently analyzed that maybe these four bodyguards were indeed involved in slave trade, but after returning to land, they were also engaged in normal freight transportation and did not break the law.

If so, there is really nothing to do with them.

So Ryan stopped talking and said goodbye to Kanai politely.

He secretly thought that it would be great if Dongji also went to work at the dock. Dongji knew magic, so she might be able to see what was in the box.

Back in the room, Ryan noticed that the house had been cleaned up.Judging from the shape of the folded clothes and the habit of arranging things, of course it was made of Winter Thistle, so he didn't mind.

He went to the next door, and Winter Thistle's door was locked.Ryan guessed that Winter Thistle was still sleeping, so he didn't knock on the door, and went back to rest silently.

===============

Actually the Winter Thistle was not in the house.He got up early in the morning and went out, rushing to the Temple of the Day Patroller in Harbor City.

It wasn't long before they arrived in Harbor City, and even Ryan hadn't had time to visit the temple here.The location of the temple was remote, and it was the first time for Winter Ji to go, and it was inevitable to ask directions and detours on the way, so he deliberately got up early.

After finally arriving, Winter Thistle didn't go to the main hall of the temple, but walked around to the nearby cemetery.

According to the account of the necromancer yesterday, her relatives were buried in this cemetery.Two of them were surnamed Tal and one was surnamed Emer.

The cemetery is so large that it is very difficult to find someone with a specific last name.Winter Thistle used a little magic to search for the target text within the specified range.Originally intended to help mages find books in strange libraries, Winter Thistle uses it to find tombstones.

Neither Tal nor Emer are local surnames in Harbor City, and the duplication rate is not high.Winter Ji excluded those whose birth and death dates were too far away, and the remaining three tombstones were what he was looking for.

The two Tals are family, Emer is the fiancé.Winter Thistle had expected the three tombstones to be next to each other, or at least the two Thars, but it wasn't.

Emer was very close to the younger Tal, and the older Tal was buried in another area.

The winter thistle came first to Emer's tombstone.Emer died two years ago at the age of 27.Tal next to him also died two years ago. From the only information on the tombstone, it can be seen that Tal was an official Templar Knight at the age of 20.

This is the necromancer's fiance and younger brother.Winter Thistle couldn't help but think that Little Tar was only one year older than Ryan when he died.

Then Winter Thistle went to see another Tarr's tomb.Old Tal died 19 years ago. Since the date of birth is unknown, it is not known how old he was.

No wonder the father and son were not next to each other. It turned out that they did not die one after another. It is impossible for the cemetery to reserve a place so long in advance.

Thinking about it this way, the necromancer's motivation is a bit strange.She said that she wanted to bring the bones of her relatives back to her hometown. Her father died 19 years ago. It has been so long. Did she only find his grave now?

Dong Ji thought about it carefully, and it seems that it can be explained smoothly: 19 years ago, the old Talke died in a foreign land. His wife may be just an ordinary woman, and he has no ability to go out to find people. A pair of children are too young. Only when you grow up can you come out to pursue the past.

Little Tar may also have come to find the graves of loved ones.Even, maybe the fiancé and his brother-in-law acted together, and the two found the tomb of Old Tal together, and then encountered an accident together.

Dong Ji was thinking about it when someone behind him greeted him: "Hi sir, who are you looking for? I can help you."

He turned his head, and there was a young man wearing a shrine robe standing on the path of the cemetery. He looked quite young, and he was probably a young deacon in the shrine.

The deacon asks Winter Thistle if she wants to find a specific headstone.Dong Ji looked at the tomb of old Tal, and said with an idea: "The person I want to find is Tal, and the surname on this tombstone is correct, but the deceased died 19 years ago, so it shouldn't be the one I'm looking for." people."

Although Winter Thistle already knew where Little Tar's tomb was, he wanted to get something out of the deacon.

"You're looking for the temple knight Tal? Do you know him?" Judging from the deacon's reaction, he seemed to really know little Tal.

Dong Ji said, "I know him. I met him on my journey a few years ago and received his help. Now that I'm in danger, I wanted to ask him to thank him formally, but I heard that he had..."

Because his younger brother is an apprentice knight, Winter Thistle is very familiar with the approximate promotion order of apprentice knights in different age groups.A few years ago, little Talhai was less than 20 years old, and he should be in the tour period. During the tour period, trainee knights travel around and may meet all kinds of people, and the daytime temple knights are most concerned about justice and rescue. It is not surprising that Tal had a relationship with a half-elf.

After hearing his words, the little deacon made a gesture of prayer, bowed his head and sighed: "Madam Baitian. I see. You are really a kind traveler. Come with me, and I will take you to see him."

After finishing speaking, the little deacon added: "Actually, you didn't look in the wrong place. The owner of the tombstone in front of you is also named Tal, and he is the father of the knight Tal."

Dong Ji secretly lamented that he was very lucky. This deacon had a kind tone, a proactive attitude, and a strong desire to express, so he should be able to talk about a lot of things.

The deacon brought Winter Thistle to Little Tarr's tomb, and the two naturally chatted about the knight.

They first lamented that fate is unpredictable, but such a good person died young, and gradually, they naturally talked about the cause of his death.

Little Tar's death was not because of a battle or an accident, but because he was infected with an epidemic.

The cause of the incident was a dispute on a fishing boat.The Templars went to investigate, only to be infected with fever by a dying island merchant.The wandering merchant died, and the three sick knights rescued two of them, and the other died unfortunately, that is Little Tar, who had just become an official temple knight.

The deacon also introduced that the deceased next to him also died of fever.This man's name is Emer, and he is a relative of Tal. He made a special trip to take care of Tal's funeral. Unexpectedly, this vicious fever is more dangerous than before. He died within days.

Winter Thistle took the opportunity to ask about Old Taer's situation, deliberately asking if Old Taer also suffered from the same disease.

The deacon explained that old Tal was not a knight, nor did he die of illness.It is said that he works for the Ten Sails Street Chamber of Commerce as a bodyguard or thug. 19 years ago, a member of the chamber of commerce encountered robbers when he went out to do business. Old Tal died protecting his employer.

More things, the little deacon is not too clear.He was young, and he had only heard about Old Tal in bits and pieces. The reason why he knew this was because he was born in Harbor City.

Winter Thistle chatted with the young deacon for a while, and then pretended to say a few words to the knight in the tomb, pretending to say goodbye to his friends.

After leaving the cemetery, Dongji felt very upset.

He took the trouble to find out, but now he feels that he might as well not come.It may be easier to know less.

The deaths of Little Tal and Emer were probably not due to illness.

Winter Ji has also been exposed to some herbal medicine. He has long heard of the severe fever in the southeast and read related medical records.The disease was first introduced from the island, and it is not very contagious, but the course of the disease develops very fast. It is difficult for sailors to get timely treatment when they get sick on board, and the initial symptoms are easy to be confused with common cold and fever, which is easy to be misdiagnosed. So the fatality rate was once high.Later, the doctors gradually gained experience. Since many years ago, the disease has become less dangerous.

After Little Tal's death, Emer only came into contact with his body, but he was also infected... Ordinarily, this is impossible.After the patient died, the fever would disappear. Even in the most severely infected areas recorded, there has never been a case of corpses continuing to spread the fever.

Old Tal's death may not be without strangeness.Although there are few details in it, Winter Thistle is inexplicably concerned about the time point of "19 years ago".

Nineteen years earlier, his father, Harman, had also died, details of which were unknown.

Haman's death and Old Tal's death should not be related, but there is a connection between them, and that is the Ten Sails Street Chamber of Commerce.

Old Tal had served in the chamber of commerce during his lifetime, and Harman had rejected someone from the chamber of commerce during his lifetime.

The female necromancer should also be named Tal.She didn't say her name, but gave the pseudonym "March".

Although I don't know when Old Tarr died, Winter Thistle heard from Lane's mother that Harman was killed in March of that year.

Harman had a decent funeral, and his grave was over at Hilda's, not in Harbor City.Ordinarily he and Tal shouldn't have any connection...

The more Winter Thistle thinks about it, the more restless she becomes, and the more she thinks about it, the more frightened she becomes.

He didn't go back to the mansion directly, but found a secluded place to sit first.

Obviously he didn't intend to track down his father's death, obviously he just wanted a stable environment to do his own research... But he couldn't control the chance encounters, nor could he control his curiosity.

Now his mind is full of all kinds of bizarre guesses, and he doesn't know who to tell.

Can't say that to Ryan.Winter Thistle has long made up her mind to be negative about the past and not encourage Ryan to investigate too much.

Ryan also has no impression of his biological father. The reason why he wants to investigate these is more out of reason than emotion.Therefore, as long as this matter drags on slowly, Ryan will give up sooner or later.

Can't say that to Aldean and Kanai.Of course, the two brothers had nothing to do with what happened 19 years ago, after all, they were still young children at that time... But now they are both high-level members of the chamber of commerce, and they definitely don't like to see people inquiring about those things.

Winter Thistle knew very well that he should please them instead of arousing their suspicion and rejection.

Can't say that about "March".Maybe she already knew enough and didn't need Winter Thistle to reveal anything more.In any case, Winter Thistle decided to only treat her as a transaction partner, and just do what is required to be done. Other than that, it's best not to get involved too much...

"Oh... I'm so stupid and selfish."

Winter Thistle sat on a stone by the bank, talking to herself in a low voice.

He didn't notice at all that in the alley not far behind him, a figure in a hood had been silently observing him.