The City of Marronligar

I have mentioned in other chapters that the Torresso family is between nobles and merchants, and their special history also makes them have unusual family traditions.For example, the patriarchal system that is reminiscent of the pre-empire era, using the arena-like trials to determine who will be the next in power.In order to prevent the power from being monopolized by one line, they do not even allow the patriarch to leave his own offspring.

The "virtue" of the Torresso family may be very different in the eyes of traditional nobles.As outsiders, it is difficult for us to understand the extent to which this alternative has been carved into their bones.

——Miscellaneous Notes of the Silver Bay Tower·The Virtue of Nobility

"Actually, I've always been afraid of Samuel, and I'm also afraid of you."

What Louis said was completely out of Adrian's expectation - it would be understandable to say that he was afraid of the Torresso family or Samuel.As for the "non-toxic and harmless" Adrian, he couldn't find a reason to be scared, let alone the person who spoke was Louis, who was a veteran bounty hunter.

Adrian suddenly became nervous: "Master, I don't understand what you mean."

Louis looked at the carriage parked in front of him. The horses, which had finally rested, were looking down for edible weeds.He naturally sensed Adrian's uneasiness: "Even though the people in your family have different personalities, they are very similar in one thing."

He reached out to Adrian, gently picked up the snake-shaped pendant from his chest, and saw the lines on the pendant clearly under the thin moonlight.

This is the coat of arms of the Torresso family and the embodiment of their beliefs.

"Only by fighting can you survive - this is your credo. On top of this there is another layer: when you cling to something specific, your rationality gives way to overwhelming emotions that drive you to dangerous actions. actions. You should know better than me." Louis stared at the pendant lying in his palm. "This happened to you, did you feel it?"

Adrian stared at Louis in a daze, without speaking.

Louis directly reminded Adrian: "It's in that mine. You didn't listen to me and rushed up against the Lightless." He released Adrian's pendant and watched the snake fall back to the young man. placket. "You looked so different back then. You were a different person. I could see it in your eyes."

Louis has always remembered that moment.

Torresso's combat talent should not be underestimated, but what was stimulated was not only instinct, but also a fanaticism that burned all reason.The same is true for Adrian, who was eager to prove himself in front of the bounty hunters. His actions were swayed by flashing thoughts, and he failed to calmly judge the situation of the environment and the enemy.

Adrian was still young, an orthodox Torreso, but he had grown into his current appearance in the game between the elders and the patriarch. The rightful altruism and half-baked self-awareness tore his spirit from both sides.If the entanglement is not solved in time, Adrian's ending may not be very good: either destroy others, or destroy himself.

That's what Louis was afraid of—of course, he was more worried that Adrian, who was kind by nature, would go to self-destruction.

Always deliberately keeping a distance from Adrian and trying to push him back to a position where he doesn't have to face the dilemma, Louis just wants to protect himself while saving an innocent person who should not be involved in the conspiracy.

"I wouldn't take that as your ancestral character flaw," Louis added. "But the stubbornness in your bones does scare me, especially after watching Samuel make his choice."

Adrian heard Samuel's name again: "Uncle?"

Louis raised his head again and did not respond to Adrian's gaze: "When Samuel said that he was going to find the ancient temple and the holy artifacts to completely end the catastrophe, I chose to leave, and he also gave up on me because I couldn't understand him. Why are you willing to sacrifice everything you already have to test an ancient legend that you don't know whether it is true or not?"

"That's not a legend." Adrian retorted subconsciously.

"Maybe. Now that he has found Hagrid as his ally, he doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing." Louis dealt with it lightly. "As for you, I haven't found such a strong obsession for the time being. The mine was treated as an emergency. You don't seem to know why you had such a dangerous idea at that time."

Adrian felt very embarrassed when Louis discovered the fatal flaw.Fortunately, the other party couldn't see his face clearly at night, so Adrian still had room to pretend to be calm: "I'm not jealous of my uncle—he is the patriarch, and his talent and realm are unquestionable. I don't want to surpass him either."

Although Adrian didn't necessarily think so when leaving Louis aside and rushing towards the Lightless.

Louis smiled: "I didn't say you meant that."

"I...ever since I followed you, sometimes I would suddenly have thoughts that I couldn't understand." Adrian clenched his fingers.The leather gloves were warm and thick, but they failed to bring his heart back to peace. "It was because I was afraid of what you said would happen that I wondered if I could stay away from you so that these illusory thoughts would disappear."

——In this way, at least I will not betray the mission of the Torresso family due to personal emotions, nor will I involve you in my wishful thinking.

"You asked me before why I was interested in you and if I liked you." Adrian paused for a few seconds. "I really don't know. Maybe, I'm just afraid of knowing the answer."

"Do you hate me?" Louis asked quietly.

Adrian answered almost immediately: "Not at all."

Louis wondered if he should be thankful: "Even if I did that... cross-border behavior to you?"

Adrian knew that Louis was referring to that unexpected and extremely short kiss.He was lost in thought.

But soon, Adrian found that he didn't seem to hate Louis because of this, not even the slightest resentment.It wasn't disgust that drove him to Samuel, but the same fear that Louis shared.

He didn't want to let himself wallow in unresolved emotions, and he didn't want to hurt Luis because of Torreso's nature.Escape may be a temporary solution but not the root cause, but at least Adrian can win the space to examine himself.

It's just that all of this fell short: when he met Louis again, Adrian finally realized that what he was facing was not a problem that could be solved by evasion and forgetting.

"Yes, I don't dislike you," Adrian admitted. "Even if that happened between us."

This time it was Louis' turn to fall silent.

Samuel also asked him what his attitude was towards Adrian.Louis naturally likes Adrian very much—it’s not because Adrian and Samuel are related by blood, and it’s not because he hasn’t had a decent love life for too long, and it’s even more impossible for him to generously spread love to every close friend young men and women.

But every time he faced Adrian, Louis would always subconsciously think a few more steps, thinking about the way forward for this young man who lacked self-interested motives and was too self-controlled, even though Samuel didn't ask him to take over these redundant "businesses" .

Samuel wanted Adrian to be in chains for Louis, and Louis wanted Adrian to be free of his chains.

"Adrian..." Louis pronounced the name like a long sigh.

Not only did Adrian fall for it, but Louis was soberly aware that he might not be able to escape unscathed.

He raised his hand and stroked Adrian's face that was chilled by the evening wind, and he could feel his pulse beating on the side of his palm.

Adrian followed Louis' movements and looked up at him, the moonlight was faintly reflected in his eyes.

Louis wanted to say something more, but the words were blown away by the cold winter wind.So, he just turned half sideways, quietly watching Adrian's young face.The party being watched did not choose to escape like last time, but responded positively to Louis' deep eyes.

None of them spoke.

When Liz walked out of the room, Louis withdrew his hand.He and Adrian looked at Liz and the large wooden box in her arms at the same time.

Louis jumped off the low wall, patted the dust off his body, and asked her briskly, "Have you found what you want?"

Liz lowered her head and stared at the peeled lacquer paintings on the wooden box. The wooden box and the manuscript were heavy. It was not easy to hold it firmly with one hand, but it made her feel extremely secure in her heart.At the end of her little journey, a sincere and pure smile finally appeared on Liz's face: "Yes, I found them."

This is the trace left by her parents to the world, the wealth that should belong to the Silver Bay Tower and even the world, and the treasure that should return to her and her grandfather.Not only these manuscripts, but also her long-lost real "home" was recovered by Liz.

Adrian untied the horse rope and reminded softly: "Miss Liz, let's go back."

Liz was no longer stubborn.She nodded deeply, took the initiative to climb into the carriage, and squeezed together with the three empty wine barrels.She has been holding the wooden box containing the manuscript in her arms, unwilling to let go for a moment.

Louis and Adrian smiled at each other, and got on their horses.

"This time, you don't have to hide in the barrel to fool the guards." Louis said with a smile.

Two strings of hoofbeats ran across the silent wilderness again, towards Ma Lunliga.

It was late at night when we arrived at the city gate.The guard on duty opened his mouth in surprise when he saw Liz dressed as a boy in the carriage under the helmet.On the one hand, he was surprised by the casual appearance of the granddaughter of a university student, and on the other hand, he noticed that his colleagues during the day might be suspected of dereliction of duty by mistakenly releasing Liz out of the city.

"Miss Liz?! I, I will report to the curator's house right now."

One of them was about to run to the city, but was stopped by Liz.

"You don't have to trouble me, I'm preparing to go back now." Liz's tone was gentle and her words were polite, as if she had become what the curator described again, which made Louis and Adrian somewhat uncomfortable.

Liz smiled at the two "bodyguards" who accompanied her to retrieve the manuscript, and her clever eyes seemed to ask "Which one do you think is my real character?"

The curator's house was lit for Liz who came home late.Louis and Adrian stopped by the side of the road, watching Liz step by step up the steps leading to the front yard, and walked towards the curator standing at the door who was crying with joy.

Louis watched Adrian smile from the bottom of his heart, and decided not to tell him how much he took from Liz.

The streets at midnight are almost deserted.Only when the bell rang, the guards who changed the guard would talk in low voices and leave the place, and the hard soles of their boots knocked on the ground, like a lullaby given to Maren Liga.

Adrian and Louis parted ways at a fork in the road.One faces the market, and the other faces the aristocratic district.

After walking a few steps, Adrian stopped.He turned around, his eyes followed Louis's back, and finally couldn't help shouting: "Master Cormac!"

Louis didn't look back.

He waved his back to Adrian, as the simplest farewell after a busy day.

Adrian watched Louis disappear at the intersection, just as he drank the mead for the first time, and watched Louis leave the night.

Adrian got up late the next day.He didn't go to Louis, and Louis didn't come to him.

Yinwan Tower sent a letter of thanks from the curator to Feishi Mansion.Only then did Sophia realize that her nephew, who had only come back in the middle of the night the day before, had dropped by to do such a big favor.

In the evening, Sophia flipped through the ledger and said to Adrian, who routinely sorted out the bills: "We have always respected the scholars of Silver Bay Tower, and Huta also helped them collect valuable books from overseas. But I really didn't expect , the curator’s granddaughter is so energetic, it reminds me of my youthful youth.”

Adrian smiled slightly: "Miss Liz's mobility is amazing. If she hadn't happened to find Master Cormac, I don't know how things would have developed."

He found himself inadvertently mentioning Louis' name again.But for some reason, unlike before, he seemed less nervous.

——Is it because of the frank conversation last night?

Adrian thought to himself.

At this time, a messenger knocked on the door of the study.Sophia went forward and took the letterhead from Heshan Manor from the messenger.After the messenger left, she untied the wax seal and quickly browsed through the contents of the letter.Then, she took the pen from the table and added two more lines in the blank space.

"Adrian, I have to trouble you again. It's not safe to send it with a carrier pigeon." Sophia showed a slightly apologetic smile, and handed the letter rewound with a ribbon to Adrian. "Give it to Samuel and Judge Sauron, they should be discussing important matters in the temple."

Adrian took over the errand task without saying a word.

Unlike Samuel, Adrian walked into the temple openly.After all, he and Luis had helped the Order hunt down the Lightless, and the Church police had a good impression of this humble young man from Torresso.Hearing that he was here to deliver a letter to the judge, he directly pointed out the location of the office.

Adrian went upstairs and walked in the direction pointed by the teaching police.But when he was about to knock on the door of Hagrid's office, Adrian hesitated.

The reason for the hesitation is hard to say.Although separated by a stone wall and a heavy wooden door, he "benefited" from his superior senses, but he still heard an unexpected sound.

The collision of limbs was accompanied by the sound of shaking the desk, rapid breathing, and those few words that were suppressed between breaths.

It was not difficult for Adrian to guess what happened inside.

Near the stairs, the passing teaching police asked curiously: "Why, isn't the judge here?"

Adrian was startled, so he had no choice but to knock on the door: "Mr. Judge, I am Adrian from Torresso. I have a letter to deliver to you in person."

The abnormal noise in the house stopped immediately.After a while, someone finally pulled the latch and let Adrian in.

Not beyond Adrian's expectation, it was Samuel who opened the door.Torreso's patriarch's clothes were disheveled, his eyes were red, and there was a little uneven bruise on his shoulder and neck.

Facing the flushed Adrian, Samuel looked normal, and only said lightly: "Don't tell Sophia, or she will directly demolish the temple."

The author has something to say: continue to be happy after busy work

Overcome the Beast Inside - Marvin Kopp