radicalducati Chapter 105 Who knows if it's a blessing in disguise?
Chapter 105 Who knows if it's a blessing in disguise?
Chapter 105 Who knows if it's a blessing in disguise?
Good fortune and misfortune are intertwined.
Now, Chris truly understands the meaning of those words.
Chris's failed scam forced him to leave the city overnight, where he unfortunately encountered the Warcraft incident.
However, this unexpectedly became the catalyst that gave him the chance to live out his life as a herald.
He arrived at Lakeside Castle without incident and won the trust of the Earl of Lakeside Castle, who firmly believed that he was the herald sent by the Herald Academy.
But who could have predicted that this successful scam would bring him disaster?
He was ordered to go to the Plains of Lorraine immediately for negotiations, and the Duchess was very likely the murderer of the previous Herald Master. Chris's journey there would surely be fraught with danger.
If one is not careful, one will follow in his footsteps.
With no other option, Chris had to desert his post.
They jumped off the carriage midway and ran all night before finally finding an abandoned monastery.
He thought this was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, at least he could get a good night's sleep.
But just then, a sudden noise woke him up.
He later learned that two groups of people had broken into the monastery.
They fought their way into the monastery.
Chris's "fortunate" turn of events has once again dragged him into the vortex of war.
He could only cower beneath the statue of God, trembling as he prayed that he would be alright.
Suddenly, a soldier's body collapsed behind the statue.
Then a strange rat crawled out of the mouth of the door.
The dueling sword in the soldier's hand slid down the floor to Chris's feet.
He stared at the sword, recalling the conversation between the two groups of people, but he could only remember a few words:
Jinzi, the little boy, is worth a fortune.
Chris's initial panic subsided suddenly because of these words and the weapon at his feet.
destiny--
Chris felt that he had been thinking about this word a lot lately.
Fate is unpredictable and hard to fathom.
If fate truly exists, Chris could tell from his experiences over the past two months that fate is by no means a friend of humanity.
Misfortune and good fortune have long taken turns.
No one can say for sure where the pointer will eventually stop.
However, if one actively intervenes, it might influence one's own fate.
Human destiny is cyclical or ascending; if one wants to ascend, one must stop the cycle.
Chris was just a conman, but at this moment, he had been staring at the sword for a long time.
The blade was sharp enough, seemingly sharp enough to sever the cycle.
So he picked up the sword and held it in his hand.
He repeated the words he had just recalled to himself: gold, little boy, worth a fortune.
Chris's eyes sharpened, and he slowly rose from behind the Lord.
"...If Sir Pegasus were here, he would never have put you in such a dangerous situation."
They had a lot of gold on them, Chris thought, and the boy was worth a fortune.
"Don't say that, Robert, you've done very well."
Now there are only two people left outside. If you keep the boy, kill the other one—
"You are so forgiving and so strong, so great—"
"Pfft~"
"Then, the gold, and the boy who's worth more than gold, Chris thought excitedly, will all be mine!"
By the time he realized what was happening, he had already thrust his sword out.
He hit the heart of the man sitting on the ground with his back to him with pinpoint accuracy.
The longsword pierced through the opponent's body.
Fresh blood flowed from the wound.
The spasms in the other person's body traveled along the sword and were transmitted to Chris's hand.
He instinctively released his sword and took several steps back until his back touched the wall.
"Robert!"
Chris saw the little boy rush over, reaching out his small hand to try and stop the bleeding wound.
However, this was of no use; the man named Robert was already dead.
This made Chris realize that he had just killed someone!
Chris slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
His eyes trembled uncontrollably, and even his breathing was shaking.
This was Chris's first murder.
Chris has deceived countless people, but he has never directly harmed anyone's life.
Therefore, the feeling of killing for the first time left him in a state of confusion.
destiny-
At this moment, only this word could be thought of.
Fate is either cyclical or ascending.
What he just severed was merely the cycle within his own destiny.
Correct! That's right!
"That dead man is the cycle of my fate," Chris told himself, "so I must kill him!"
Although the fear in his chest had not completely dissipated, he was now much calmer.
Chris, supporting himself against the wall, slowly got up and walked towards the boy.
Then he kicked the boy hard, knocking him to the ground.
The boy immediately clutched his stomach in pain, drooling, but surprisingly, he didn't shed a tear.
Perhaps the man Chris killed was right; he was a strong boy.
But to Chris, he was a more valuable boy.
Chris tore off the strips of cloth, then walked over to the boy and stepped on him.
Next, they tied the boy's hands behind his back with strips of cloth.
At this moment, the boy seemed to have recovered from the pain in his stomach.
In a voice as clear as a lark's, he demanded of Chris, "Why did you kill him?!"
The boy's voice was pleasant, but Chris could also hear the anger, resentment, confusion, and fear within it.
He's part of my destiny, Chris thought, but "I don't need to tell you."
After a moment of silence, the boy finally managed to squeeze out a short sentence:
"I hate you!"
The voice was gentle, but Chris felt a chill run down his spine.
Hmm? Chris found it strange. Would I be scared by a little boy's threat?
Chris shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh, then pulled hard, binding the boy's hands tightly.
After leaving the boy in a corner, he immediately began to loot the body.
Gold...
After searching for a while, Chris finally found a bag of gold coins on a soldier's waist.
"Haha!" I made it!
As expected, once the cycle is broken, only upward movement remains!
This must be the gold that those two groups were talking about earlier.
Now, Chris can finally focus on dealing with the little boy.
Turning around, he saw the boy glaring at him fiercely.
Chris felt uncomfortable under that hateful glare, so he stepped forward and slapped the other man hard across the face.
A distinct red mark was left on the boy's delicate skin.
However, when the boy turned around, his gaze remained unchanged.
Live ammunition.
Chris felt a deep hatred. He knew that if he ever fell into this boy's hands, he would be skinned alive.
Perhaps killing the boy now would be a good choice, but this boy could also be his "rise".
The soldiers said the boy could bring extraordinary value, but did not say whether he would live or die.
If Chris wants to make more money through this murder, he cannot kill the other party for the time being.
The question is, where should Chris go to exchange the boy for profit?
Chris saw the emblems on the chests of the soldiers he had just seen.
However, Chris only recognized the coats of arms of some high-ranking nobles.
Chris had never seen the emblem on that breastplate before.
The only person who might have a clue now is that boy.
Chris walked up to the boy and asked:
"Who are you? What's your name?"
The man didn't answer, he just continued to stare at Chris.
Seeing this, Chris changed the question again:
"Why are these soldiers arresting you?"
The boy remained silent.
Chris lied and said, "Tell me, and I'll help you."
"You never intended to help me," the boy suddenly said. "You just wanted to know who I was so you could use me to make money!"
Not entirely stupid; at least she could sense Chris's intentions.
However, Chris, a professional conman, never expected to fool the other party with such a low-level lie, even if it was just a child.
His purpose was simply to lure the other party into speaking.
As long as communication is possible, there is an opportunity to extract key information or persuade or entice the other party to believe what he says.
Chris said, "You're right, but it might not be a bad thing for you to trade you for money."
"You're lying, or you don't know anything," the boy said. "If you hand me over to the people who want me, I'm doomed. Don't you think that's a bad thing for me?"
Chris smiled and said:
"You're just a kid. How could you possibly warrant such a huge fuss? They're not afraid of you, they're afraid you'll be used by certain people. Since they're willing to spend a fortune to capture you, someone else must be willing to spend a fortune to rescue you."
Upon hearing this, the boy fell silent, clearly somewhat moved by Chris's words.
Chris seized the opportunity to continue his instigation: "So, kid, tell me who you are, and I'll take you to someone who's willing to help you."
After a moment, the boy shook his head:
"I won't tell you who I am, but I can tell you where you can make money by sending me."
Chris was astonished to himself that he hadn't fallen for the trick.
He maintained his smile, saying, "You don't trust me?"
"You killed my friend," the boy said. "I hate you so much, how could I trust you?"
In this world, even children are not forgetful.
Well, Chris knew he couldn't get the boy to talk anytime soon.
Chris could only concede, "So, where do you want me to take you?"
Then, the boy clearly fell into thought.
When the boy looked up, a flame of hope seemed to rekindle in his previously dull eyes:
"A library! Take me to a library!"
library?
Chris suddenly remembered that Anne Booker, a student from the Herald Academy, had also asked him to go to the library.
Could it be such a coincidence that they are from the same library?
Chris couldn't believe that fate could be so coincidental.
He then recalled that the books the girl had given him seemed to be related to fate.
After this period of time, Chris gained a completely new understanding of fate.
He carried the book with him only to sell it for money.
However, before selling, I took a quick look and realized there wasn't much of a loss.
But now was not the time to think about that, Chris shook his head at the boy:
"Boy, do you expect a library to pay a hefty price to ransom you? And why would I go through all the trouble of sending you there for just a few copper coins?"
The boy understood what Chris meant, and he fell into deep thought again.
After a moment, he gave another answer:
"Red Joe Forest!"
"Red Joe's Forest?" Chris frantically searched his memory for the term. "You mean, Capello's Forest?"
"That's right!"
Chris squinted and looked at the boy's face.
He was clearly an innocent child; Chris couldn't see a trace of malice or evil in his eyes.
"You want me to take you there? To whom are you looking?"
"Looking for the Duke of the Forest!" the boy said.
Chris was taken aback when he heard the word "Duke".
He suddenly realized that the boy in front of him was definitely not an ordinary person.
He asked warily, "Who are you to him?"
"relative."
The boy's answer was brief, probably because he was afraid that Chris would deduce more information from his words and actions, even his identity.
However, for Chris, it didn't matter where he sent the boy, as long as he could make money.
Chris visualized the outline of the Anderson Continent in his mind and located the approximate location of the Red Joe Forest within it.
Red Tree Forest isn't far from here; it's a short distance to the northwest.
If you take a horse-drawn carriage, it might only take half a month.
However, this also brought them closer to the Lorraine Plains, which inevitably made Chris feel somewhat apprehensive.
However, since he has already jumped out of the car and escaped, the people at Lakeside Fort probably won't spend time looking for him.
Therefore, Chris shouldn't need to worry about this excessively.
"Alright, boy, I'll take you to the Forest of Capello."
As he spoke, Chris reached out and pulled the boy up from the ground.
As Chris stepped out of the abandoned monastery, he saw several warhorses.
Ha, now we don't even have to bother looking for a carriage!
Chris tried to climb onto the horse, but for some reason, the horse seemed to recognize its master and started bobbing back and forth, throwing Chris off. He fell heavily to the ground, his buttocks aching.
The boy then said, "Riding a horse like that is wrong."
"How do you ride it?" Chris asked.
Although he had ridden horses before, he had been assisted by others and the horse was an old and frail horse with little vitality.
Asking him to suddenly ride a strong warhorse was still too difficult for him.
The boy said, "Promise me one thing, and I'll teach you."
"What's wrong?"
"Help me bury my friend."
Chris stared at the boy intently for a few seconds, then said:
"I overheard your conversation; he appears to be one of your subordinates."
"I guess so," the boy nodded.
"If that's the case, why do you care about him so much?"
"Is there anything wrong with this?"
Huh?
Chris was stumped by the question.
After a long silence, Chris said:
"Assuming you are truly a leader, you are genuinely out of step with this world."
Chris tied the boy to a pillar outside the monastery, then went inside and, with great effort, dragged the man named Robert out.
Most monasteries are located next to cemeteries, and this one is no exception.
Chris pulled the man to an empty spot in the cemetery, removed the man's armor, used it as a shovel, and began digging.
He suddenly heard the boy shout, "I can help!"
Chris did indeed feel that burying a grown man by himself would be exhausting.
Since the boy was willing to help, Chris was naturally more than happy to oblige.
Chris untied the ropes binding the boy and took him to the cemetery.
He was about to tell the boy to give up his plan to run away, but the boy spoke first:
"Don't worry, I won't run away."
Chris was taken aback, and suddenly became curious about the boy's thoughts:
"Why aren't you planning to run away?"
The boy picked up the steel gaiters, dug out a full layer of dirt, dumped it aside, and replied:
"I want him to have a place to rest in peace."
"Why?" Chris asked, puzzled.
"Why? Why?"
"You are his master, you don't need to do this."
"He was my subordinate. He protected me and saved me many times. He was very loyal to me, and I swore I would never betray his loyalty."
Any one of these things would make it worthwhile for me to do this for him.
Chris remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
He finally understood what kind of person the boy was:
"Young man, although I have no obligation to guide you, I'll take it as a moment of kindness and offer you some advice: justice, honor, and morality are tools to restrain them, and you should never let them trip you up."
"As someone from the bottom of society, I constantly remind myself not to be fooled by these things. But since you seem to have an extraordinary status, you need to learn to use these things to gain more benefits for yourself."
"I don't think I'm wrong, but if I can help more people, I'm willing to become like you."
"You don't need to help others; you should prioritize yourself."
The boy stopped what he was doing and looked at Chris.
The two looked at each other for a long time, then the boy asked:
"Hey, who are you?"
Chris shrugged. "Am I a fraudster?"
"fraud?"
"Well—that's what laymen call us."
The boy said, "Liars have their own way of doing things, and your experience and knowledge may not apply to everyone."
Chris sneered:
"In other professions, perhaps it would be as you say, but not in the case of a con artist. Everyone is a con artist, and you must have lied before, kid. This is a world of con artists, and those who can't lie deserve to go to hell. Therefore, my experience is absolutely the truth of the world."
The boy stopped talking and continued working.
Chris shook his head, but didn't say anything more.
Looking back, it was Chris who personally killed the boy's trusted subordinate.
Strictly speaking, Chris was the boy's enemy.
His instruction of the boy was completely unnecessary.
It took a long time for the two of them to finally bury Robert together.
Chris often slacked off during the process, while the boy was busy from beginning to end.
He was drenched in sweat, his whole body soaked.
Chris chuckled to himself, "See? There's no benefit to being an honest person."
After everything was done, the boy kept his promise and taught Chris how to ride a horse.
Following the boy's method, the horse would indeed obediently allow Chris to ride on its back.
Chris dismounted, preparing to continue binding the boy's hands.
The boy said, "There's no need to tie me up, I won't run away."
Chris chuckled: "You want a professional con artist who easily believes what others say?"
"I'm too young. Even if I escape, I won't be able to survive. But you will take me to where I want to go. I'm safer with you."
Hearing this, Chris felt there was some truth to it.
But his final decision not to tie the boy up was not because he was persuaded.
Rather, he couldn't see a trace of falsehood in the boy's eyes.
Those were the most sincere eyes I had ever seen; even if he were a fraud, I was still somewhat moved.
The two set off.
After riding for a while, Chris became more and more familiar with horseback riding.
He asked the boy, "What should I call you?"
"I won't tell you your real name."
Chris gasped, realizing he hadn't been fooled.
More than ten days later, the two finally arrived at the Forest of Capello.
Chris had counted them; there were a full one hundred gold coins looted from the house.
This money was enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, but to be on the safe side, he decided to use the boy to get even more money.
With that wealth, he could retire from his life of crime and no longer need to be a con artist who only makes a living for a day and is despised by others.
If the lord of Capello Forest is indeed a relative of the boy, he will surely pay a hefty ransom and will absolutely not harm Chris, even though Chris is an enemy the boy would kill without hesitation.
This is an unwritten rule; otherwise, if someone from their family were captured again, no one would wait for their ransom, but would simply choose to kill them.
They followed the forest path, through the Red Tree Forest, and arrived at the foot of a castle.
Chris told the gatekeepers, "I'm here to take hostages and get a ransom."
The gatekeeper glanced at the boy and asked:
"Who is this person?"
Chris replied, "Is he a descendant of the Duke of Capello?"
The soldiers burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"They've even managed to scam the Duke? I've met all of the Duke's descendants, but I've never seen this kid before!"
The boy then said, "I am indeed a descendant of Duke Robin."
The soldiers exchanged glances and told them the answer:
"Duke Robin is dead."