Black Hearted Mage
Chapter 97 Jack 2
About a quarter of an hour later, two guards, also named Jack, approached with steady steps. Both wore sturdy leather armor, and at their waists hung long, sheathed swords, their hilts inlaid with intricate patterns, a testament to the viscount's wealth. At a glance, they appeared to be around fifty years old, but their slender figures and toned muscles exuded a powerful presence, as if they had been battle-hardened for centuries.
At this moment, Viscount Salas rose from his seat, his chin slightly raised as he scanned the assembled crowd, leading the minor nobles toward the castle's interior. Seeing this, Caesars couldn't help but nod inwardly, expressing his appreciation for their tactful behavior. These people clearly understood when to listen and when to remain silent.
After everyone left, Caesars returned his gaze to the two guards before him, a gentle smile on his face. "Don't be nervous, you two. The question I'm asking is very simple. Are you originally from Hanfeng County?"
However, upon hearing Caesar's question, the two guards from the Viscount's Mansion froze in a moment, their faces filled with bewilderment. Perhaps they had never imagined that this distinguished magician would actually ask such a seemingly ordinary, yet baffling question.
After a brief silence, one of the guards came to his senses first and quickly replied respectfully, "Master Mage, I am not from Cold Wind County."
Upon hearing this, Caesar nodded slightly, then waved to the guard, indicating that he could leave first. The guard breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been pardoned, and hurriedly bowed to Caesar, then hurriedly retreated.
Then, another guard spoke a little nervously, "Master Mage, I am indeed a native of Hanfeng County."
"Very good, then let's discuss the next question. Have you ever injured your leg? It was about twenty years ago!" Caesar stared at the other party with burning eyes and asked seriously.
After hearing this question, the person being interviewed pondered for a moment and then replied, "I was indeed injured twenty years ago. I accidentally fell at that time, and I didn't expect that the fall was so serious that the muscles in my leg were severely cut!" After saying this, he couldn't help frowning, as if that painful experience came to his mind again.
Caesars then asked, "So, did this injury happen in Blackrock Mountain?"
"Yes, it's in Blackrock Mountain." The man nodded without hesitation.
After receiving a positive answer, Caesars paused for a moment, then continued to ask, "I heard you have a younger sister?"
At this moment, the middle-aged guard's originally calm face instantly became gloomy. He slowly lowered his head and said in a slightly low voice: "I did have a younger sister, but unfortunately, she has passed away a long time ago..." When he mentioned his deceased relatives, his mood became obviously low, and his eyes revealed deep sadness and nostalgia.
Seeing this, Caesars calmed the other person down a bit and then asked the next question: "So, you have a nephew, right?"
The middle-aged guard raised his head, nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, there is such a nephew."
"But as far as I know, you seem to have never seen him?" Caesar stared at the middle-aged guard, not missing any subtle changes in expression on his face.
"Alas... yes, we have never had the chance to meet. I am a guard and cannot leave the Viscount's Mansion without permission." The middle-aged guard sighed helplessly.
At this moment, Caesars took a deep breath and solemnly asked the last key question: "In this case, can you tell me the name of your nephew?"
Caesars thought to himself that based on the information he had obtained so far, the person in front of him was most likely the uncle he had been looking for.
"My nephew has a surname. He is the descendant of a minor noble family. I remember his name is Caesar Ludwig, and he is from Blackstone City!"
"It's such a coincidence, my name is also Caesar Ludwig, and I'm from Blackrock City!" Caesar was extremely excited. He found his mother's only relative, his uncle Jack.
After hearing Caesar's words, the middle-aged guard froze in shock, his face a look of disbelief. He stared wide-eyed at the man claiming to be his nephew, as if trying to penetrate the thin layer of flesh and see into his soul.
After a long moment, the middle-aged guard finally recovered and began to carefully examine Caesars. His gaze swept over him, slowly moving from his head to his feet, taking in every detail. Suddenly, as if he had discovered a shocking secret, his body trembled violently. He had noticed that the young magician's eyes were exactly like his sister's: clear, bright, and lively.
Despite this, the middle-aged guard still had a trace of doubt in his heart, and asked with a slightly trembling voice: "Are you... really Caesar Ludwig?" Obviously, he found it difficult to accept the fact that his nephew had suddenly turned into a magician.
At this moment, Caesars seemed extremely excited. He took two quick steps forward, grabbed the middle-aged guard's arm, and shouted excitedly, "Uncle, I finally found you! For so many years, I have been asking around for your whereabouts."
The middle-aged guard was somewhat bewildered by Caesar's sudden action, but he quickly regained his composure. Frowning, he asked in confusion, "Caesar, as far as I know, your family has always been engaged in breeding black snakes. How did you become a magician? What happened in the meantime?"
Facing his uncle's barrage of questions, Caesars waved his hand and said, "Uncle, this is not the place to talk. We can discuss the details later. Let's go back to your house first."
However, the middle-aged guard looked embarrassed and sighed helplessly, saying, "Son, I'm responsible for patrolling the manor today and can't go home for the time being."
After hearing this, Caesars smiled slightly and replied confidently, "Don't worry, uncle. Not even Viscount Sarath would dare to have any objections to you. Don't forget, I am a magician now!"
Jack agreed to take Caesar home, but he still informed the butler that he was leaving without a reason, fearing that Viscount Salas would be unhappy. Caesar also walked to the gate of the manor and sent his rented carriage away, and he also specially rewarded the driver with ten gold coins.
Jack's nephew was actually a magician! This news was like a sudden storm, instantly sweeping across the entire Viscount Salas's estate. For a moment, everyone who heard the news was dumbfounded and astonished.
In the small yet exquisite castle study, Viscount Salas, dressed in a gorgeous silk robe, was absorbed in flipping through an old, thick book. Beside him, several other lesser nobles of lesser status huddled closely around the desk, their eyes, filled with curiosity and longing, fixed on the mysterious and ancient images within.
"Salas, I'm sure he's wearing this badge, with three small moons clearly engraved on it. Hurry up and turn the page to find the detailed notes on the magician's badge!" One of the impatient young nobles said excitedly, and couldn't help but reach out for the book.
"Don't move! Compare carefully. Is the pattern on this badge exactly the same as the one in the book?" Viscount Salas hurriedly stopped him and raised the book slightly in his hand to better observe the details of the badge.
"That's right, they are absolutely identical. Hurry up and turn over to check the relevant annotations!" Another young noble urged impatiently, and even a layer of fine sweat beads seeped out of his forehead due to nervousness.
As Viscount Salas gently flipped the yellowed pages, everyone gathered around the desk exclaimed in unison. As if under a spell, they stared blankly at the words written on the page, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Then, everyone took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging emotions within.
"It's actually a high-level magician badge! This is really shocking! You know, he looks so young!" Someone murmured in disbelief.
"Could it be that... he's deliberately pretending to be a magician to deceive people?"
Someone else raised this suspicion, but it was quickly refuted by others: "Impossible. Without real strength, who would dare to easily pretend to be such a noble and powerful profession?"
In this way, everyone started a heated discussion about the identity of this mysterious magician, and the study was filled with a tense and exciting atmosphere.
The honest and simple Jack could not accept that his nephew was a magician, which made him need to look up to him.
Behind Viscount Salas's manor, there is a large fire maple forest. After walking about a mile along the forest path, a small village appeared.
"Uncle Jack, why are there so many fire maple trees here?"
Caesars gazed suspiciously at the unusual land before him. Nobles elsewhere were racking their brains, trying to cultivate every vacant lot to grow crops in the hope of a bountiful harvest. Yet here, all he saw was an endless, dense, and sturdy forest of flaming maple trees, like a sea of green.
Just then, Jack, a man familiar with the area, walked up to Caesars and pointed at the fire maple trees. He said, "Caesars, take a close look at the undersides of these trunks. Each one is meticulously perforated with small holes. These holes aren't just random; they're specifically used to collect sap. It's a shame the weather this year is so hot and dry that we've had to suspend sap collection. Otherwise, there would be a small wooden bucket under each fire maple tree, ready to catch the precious sap that slowly flows from the holes."
Hearing this, Kaisas nodded in sudden realization, and then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he blurted out, "Could it be that... they're brewing Fire Maple Wine here?"
Caesars suddenly remembered hearing about the wonderful uses of this sap—it could actually be brewed into a rich, fragrant wine! You know, this fire maple tree is truly a treasure! Its light red wood is not only hard and durable, but also exudes a light, refreshing fragrance, which is why it always commands a high price in the market.
The sap flowing through the trunk of the tree is even more unique: it has a refreshing and pleasant aroma and a slightly sweet taste. In addition to being able to brew intoxicating wine, after careful processing, it can even be refined into delicious fire maple syrup.
Even ordinary people were well aware of the benefits of the fire maple tree. Every autumn, they would gather the fallen fire maple leaves. They would then take them home, dry them in the sun, and stuff them into their pillows. As night fell, as they prepared to drift into sweet dreams, they could smell the subtle fragrance, transporting them to a peaceful and tranquil wonderland.
"Viscount Sarath brews fire maple wine and also makes fire maple syrup. The craft of brewing fire maple wine is only preserved here, which makes some people covet the recipe of fire maple wine. I can't leave here for a long time, and that's why!"
Jack nodded solemnly, then, in a profoundly cryptic manner, explained the reason for his inability to reach Blackrock City. His words were veiled in a thin veil, requiring careful scrutiny to grasp their true meaning. Caesars, standing by, listened quietly, his face devoid of any trace of blame. After all, life as a commoner was already filled with difficulties and hardships, so who could blame others?
As they slowly entered the village, shrouded in greenery, a scene of tranquility unfolded before them. Stone houses, each nearly identical, were scattered throughout the village. Each stone seemed to bear the marks of time, telling of the village's rich history.
Jack led Caesars to one of the houses with familiarity. A middle-aged woman stood in front of the house, intently hanging laundry. The sunlight shone on her, illuminating her dyed linen dress, making it appear particularly elegant. She had rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing a pair of arms, slightly rough but nonetheless hardworking.
"Jack, why are you back at this hour? Don't you need to patrol today?"
The middle-aged woman raised her head, her eyes first falling on Jack, and then she turned curiously to Caesars beside him.
"Fanny, this is my nephew, the child I mentioned to you before." Jack introduced with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Fanny immediately shifted her gaze to Caesar. As a former laundry maid, she knew all sorts of fabrics like the back of her hand. At a glance, she could tell the fabrics Caesar wore were of exceptional quality, so high that even the Viscount might never have owned anything of such exceptional quality.
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