pertwk Chapter 578 Offending People
Chapter 578 Offending People
Chapter 578 Offending People
A group of people walked toward one place, their faces showing expressions of sleepwalking.
Two of them were also carrying a severed foot covered with a woman's shoe.
High Rock Knight immediately recognized that this was the result of some kind of mind control technique. He pulled on the reins and stopped his horse beside them, and the others dismounted with him.
“Sasha is certainly lively,” the knight said. “I hope nothing goes wrong this time.”
Without informing the church, he could have handled the matter himself.
The knight raised his silver-plated longsword, its spine engraved with proverbs, and pressed the tip against the foreheads of each of the men, waking them from the spell. Those who regained consciousness, aside from their severed legs, provided the makeshift team with a clue about the sorcerer.
Following the clues, they encountered an old acquaintance again.
The female vampire, whose legs had been cut off, huddled in the shadows of the building, hugging her knees, looking pitifully at Franklin and his group.
"Ah~"
The jazz uttered a vague remark, his expression revealing a hint of pleasure in the scene before him.
"It seems that being one step ahead doesn't necessarily mean reaching the finish line sooner. You've wasted the precious opportunity you stole from me, vampire lady. And I must remind you again, your actions of bewitching humans have once again violated the kingdom's laws. I could arrest you now and lock you up until the end of the world."
“I just want to get my feet back.” Barbara’s voice was much weaker than before, and she looked at Clayton pleadingly.
The werewolf received a lot of help from Barbara's family in Gevo, where events indirectly led to the death of Barbara's husband, Pero, who chose not to remain uninvolved.
"For the sake of the fact that she hasn't caused any major trouble yet," he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the wizard also frantically communicating with his eyes.
"You want me to let her go?" The man looked at the vampire, then at the werewolf, and finally agreed. "Sure, but you have to make sure she doesn't get in my way again, and she has to help me get the book."
Clayton looked at Barbara, but she hesitated and did not immediately agree to the offer.
He could tell at a glance that she was entrusted by someone to handle this matter.
"Madam, your feet have been chopped off. No one can say you didn't try your best. Even if you don't want to fight, providing some information would be helpful."
These words convinced Barbara, and she finally opened up and told her everything that had happened after she came to Charlie's safe house.
“It really was taken by the nobles.” Angel scratched his head.
But apart from her, everyone else still harbored doubts. Even if Barbara didn't fabricate her testimony, it didn't prove that Charlie wasn't lying.
Franklin, holding the horse, seemed to be torn between going and not going. After thinking for a moment, he said to Barbara, "That young man, Charlie, called him a nobleman?"
"Yes."
"If you see him again, will you recognize him?"
Barbara nodded weakly, longing for the days when her feet were still attached to her legs.
Franklin took a silver chain from his saddlebag, went over and tied her hands, then lifted her up to put her on his horse, but then remembered that there was already a dwarf on his horse.
“I’ll take her.” Clayton pulled Barbara over and pushed her onto the horse.
A bloodless vampire is very likely to go out of control, and apart from Franklin and him, there is no one else here who can ride the same horse as her.
"My Feet," the vampire sat sideways on Clayton's chest, her red eyes fixed on Franklin, sensing that a part of herself was still in the knight's saddlebag.
"I'll give it to you after I've finished the job," Franklin said coldly.
He led them onto his horse and turned away—no longer for Charlie, but to see Des Joannard.
Mr. Melcher’s part-time position on the City Life Committee did not hinder his primary duties; on the contrary, the president of Sasha University strongly supported his choice.
Faculty and staff actively participating in public events also serves as a form of publicity for Sasha University, which needs to demonstrate its superiority over other local universities from multiple perspectives.
Veterinary work was specially approved as part of the course, and since Mr. Melcher's students were already limited, he could easily teach them while working. Although he was uneasy about Sir Courles' arrangements, he had been going home earlier than usual these past few days, which had made things much easier.
When he returned home today and enjoyed the hot black tea his wife had brewed, he sensed something was clearly wrong.
"Honey, has anyone touched my cigarette case?"
“I don’t think so,” Mrs. Melcher said.
Mr. Melcher glanced around the restaurant and nodded slightly. "I have nothing else to say, dear. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while."
"As you wish," Mrs. Melcher hummed as she left.
As soon as she left, Mr. Melcher looked out the window. The curtain on the right was draped over the window and was fluttering in the wind, while the other half was pulled to the side of the window and hung there lifelessly because it couldn't get any wind.
"Come out." He gripped his cane nervously.
A thin, stubble-faced man emerged from behind the drawn curtains in response to the call, smiling at Melcher.
Melcher raised his cane at him, ready to say something to this uninvited guest, but after a moment's scrutiny, he suddenly exclaimed, "Charlie!"
When Melcher was a boy, in accordance with the customs of the aristocratic court, his father took him to live with the Kules family, Faslag and other boys for a while. Charles of the Romitz family often visited them and became friends with him.
Three years later, Melcher's father decided to break away from the Courles family and sent him to study elsewhere. After that, the Romitz brothers began to divide the family property, and Charlie left, and the two lost contact forever. Reuniting with an old friend should have been a joyous occasion, but Melcher felt a little strange about his appearance.
If a guest wishes to visit, they should write to inform the authorities in advance. What kind of behavior is it to sneak into a house without permission?
Charlie Romitz leaned against the window and pretended to wipe his eyes:
"My God, I'm so touched I could cry. After all these years, you're still the first person to recognize me when I come back to my hometown."
Facing this friend he had made in his youth, Melcher put down his cane, but did not sit down for a moment.
"The newspapers didn't say you were back."
Locally wealthy and respectable people—not limited to nobles—would often publish news of changes in their family members in the newspapers, such as births, baptisms, school enrollments, graduations, weddings, funerals, trips abroad, and returns home. This was the kind of pomp and circumstance they needed, and a way to expand their influence.
Given Charlie's status within the Romitz family, he was certainly entitled to be featured in the newspaper.
"Ah~ Actually, I've been in the newspaper quite a few times, and I was in it not long ago, but you probably didn't see it or didn't expect it to be me."
Mr. Melcher blinked four times before he could come up with the answer.
"Drunkard Charlie?"
"It is indeed me."
Melcher raised his cane again.
"What are you doing here in my house now?!"
"You want to know how I ended up like this?" Charlie asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
Melcher glared at him, brandishing his cane like a spear: "No, I don't want to know. You should get out. I know what you did to my colleague, Mr. Ben. Don't bring the trouble you've caused to me and my family, and don't mention compensation. I don't want anything."
"For the sake of the Almighty Father, old friend, give me a room and enough food. Now only you can help me."
"Ha, you've been in Sasha City for so many years, doing all those wicked things without ever thinking of me, but now that you're in trouble, you finally remember me. You really consider me a friend?"
Charlie lit a cigarette, which came from Melcher's cigarette case: "It's because I considered you a friend that I didn't come to see you, but now that I'm about to get killed, I don't care about that anymore."
"Can't you just go home?"
"Don't even mention it, you know what my brother is like."
"Why did you have to let me know you were here?" Melcher said angrily, swinging his cane.
“First, because it’s difficult. I know that although you didn’t inherit your ancestors’ talents, your mental strength is much stronger than that of ordinary people, and you can easily see through ordinary stealth methods.” Charlie answered truthfully with a cigarette in his mouth. “Second, you have an unshirkable responsibility for how I became like this.”
"I didn't know I had ever taught you."
"Hmph, do you remember those family stories you used to tell me? I remember you were so proud of them back then. The two of us young people spent all our time thinking about how to replicate those wicked and mysterious businesses to win people's—especially beautiful women's—adoration."
Mr. Melcher's face turned ashen when he heard Charlie reminisce about his immature past.
“Yes, your family’s necromancy career fascinates me.” He exhaled a smoke ring and casually mentioned the family history that Melcher had always been reluctant to publicize.
The Melcher family is not an ordinary wizarding family; it inherits the power of necromancy.
Necromancy is considered heresy by the White Church, and the Melcher family would not have survived to this day without the protection of the Kules family.
In the last century, wizards who studied necromancy began to transform into scholars, shedding their identity as "the most dangerous heretics." The traditional path of necromancy has declined to the point of near extinction in the Kingdom of Dorne.
However, this identity remains a major stain on his public image.
Openly admitting to being a descendant of a necromancer has consequences no less than becoming a recently released convict. Except for a few occult enthusiasts, Melcher will be unwelcome everywhere, hotels may refuse to provide him with accommodation, his family's social status will drop a class, and his daughter's marriage will face difficulties.
"Are you threatening me?!"
“How could I dare? I was just trying to show my closeness.” Charlie said enthusiastically, “Compared to your ancestors, tomb raiders are practically colleagues, so I took your advice and joined this line of work.”
He acted as if he had planned to do this from the beginning, but Melcher remembered that his past career goal was to be a pirate.
How long are you going to stay?
"Stay for three days first."
Melcher took a deep breath: "Three days. Okay."
This wasn't a promise that would last forever. Melcher just didn't want to fall out with Charlie right away. Who knew what kind of trouble he might cause at home out of anger or despair? Getting rid of the guy was a must. The next day, he would find an excuse to kick him out.
Two foolish boys who thought crime equaled freedom once got together to discuss how to become the world's greatest criminal—based on this friendship, and after more than a decade of no correspondence, Melcher couldn't see any reason why he should risk everything for this criminal Charlie.
He could act on his whims and then bear the consequences, but his wife and daughters couldn't. Simply driving Charlie away quietly was enough to honor their past friendship.
But if Charlie refuses to leave and chooses to continue threatening him, he himself has no way to deal with this guy.
Melcher thought to himself, "Maybe I should ask that new friend for help."