Chapter 96: Old Folks Meet Old Folks
Nick took out a letter from his close coat pocket and handed it to Saul, "This is Mentor Rum's letter to Mill Sail Town, and it needs you to take a detour to deliver it. The coachman knows the place."
Saul took the letter and realized that it was unsealed and could be taken out and read at any time.
"Is there anything forbidden on it? Can I read it?"
"Of course you can read it, it's for ordinary people. There are at most two first level apprentices over in Mill Sail Town, both of them are trash, not enough to kill you with one hand if you get serious."
Nick reassured Saul.
"Mill Sail Town is located on the border of the Kemah Duchy, next to the disputed area that borders with the Knas Duchy, the situation is slightly complicated. However, they will provide Tali with the specialties from over there, the Grinding Sound Fruit, every year, and Tali will then give them some shelter."
Nick gestured for Saul to open the letter and read it first.
Saul opened the letter and saw the rows and rows of elegant fancy script, and Rum's slender tri-folded arms automatically appeared in his mind.
The content of the letter was simple: it was a rebuke to the town of Mill Sail for the recent decline in the quantity and quality of the tributes submitted. If it continued like this, the Golza Witch Tower would withdraw its patronage from Mill Sail Town.
"Do you need me to collect the tribute?" Sol wasn't sure if his 14 year old appearance would be able to hold down the fort in the past.
"That's not necessary, there will be a special third level senior to collect it every summer. After all, that thing still has some experimental value."
Although no one dared to eavesdrop on the two, Nick moved slightly closer to Saul to lower his voice.
"Also, you have two choices for this trip to Mill Sail Town. One is to go there directly, reprimand them for Mentor Rum, and then enjoy yourself and eat and drink."
"Or slightly investigate the reason for the decrease in their Grinding Sound Fruit production, and then show up to eat and take."
"If you can investigate the reason, you don't need to dispose of them, just report it to Tutor Rum when you return. But if they dare to disrespect you, you just need to think that you represent the Wizard Tower, you should know what to do."
Nick handed the task to Saul and left with the group.
Leaving Saul and the coachman behind, they continued along their original route.
The town of Mill Sail was not far from where they had parted, and Saul had only traveled for a day before arriving at the eastern outskirts of the town just before nightfall.
The quest that Nick had given to Saul had two ways of completing it, but it also corresponded to two different quest rewards.
Although Saul was not a detective, but coveted that second mission reward item, or decided to try to investigate it first.
He told the coachman to wait in the countryside and performed a magic trick himself to change the clothes on his body.
Now he was dressed as ragged as a straggler in the wilderness, and his hands were no longer black, but had turned into a normal skin color.
And before Sol left, the coachman silently handed up a small bag of coins.
The money bag contained a dozen silver coins and a scattering of copper coins. The coins were all minted with exquisite patterns, not quite like something that could be minted in this environment and productivity, so it was thought to be under the influence of sorcery.
Saul tucked a few of the copper coins on his person and put the rest in his arms.
He was not yet sure of the purchasing power of these coins, and was afraid that taking more would affect his lurking.
Separating from the cart driver, Saul picked up a wooden stick on the side of the road and leaned forward, feeling more like the stragglers.
There weren't many pedestrians outside of Mill Sail Town.
Saul followed the example of those pedestrians on the road, changing his look and demeanor, slowly approaching the town not far away.
From the outside, Mill Sail Town was quite large.
There was a fence built around the town, and under the baptism of the wind and sand, it looked old and dilapidated.
There were also a few rows of old houses outside the fence, and from the looks of it, one could tell that the living conditions of the house owners were not very good.
Outside the town, there was also a piece of cultivated land, which was small in size.
When Saul passed by the plowed field, he saw a dark youth turning the ground with a hoe.
When the other party reached the end of a row of land, he straightened up his waist and wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve, just in time to meet Saul's eyes who was observing him.
Saul saw the other man's face and thought again that he might still be a teenager. Saul turned his head indifferently, leaned on his stick, and prepared to leave.
"Saul?"
Instead, there was an uncertain shout from the other side behind him.
Saul stopped dead in his tracks and turned back in confusion.
How could someone call out his name?
When Saul turned back, he saw that the youth had rushed over with his hoe raised, his face full of excitement.
"Saul, it's really you! When I didn't see you when I first rushed out of the village, I thought you died at the hands of the barbarians."
"You are?" Saul looked confused, but in his heart, he thought that he should have met someone who knew the original owner.
"I'm Ada ah, haha, it's a big change right, you haven't changed much, you're still like a skinny monkey. But how on earth did you run out of the village? I really thought you were dead and cried for a long time, hahaha." The youth called Ada unapologetically patted Saul's shoulder with his big hand.
He looked at Saul still looking confused, and the smile on his face tightened a bit.
"You don't remember me? I originally lived next door to your house. Back then you were also ten years old, and said that you would wait for my sister to grow up to marry her, and then I beat you fat ... you forgot?"
"I ... really don't remember." Saul said through clenched teeth.
That was the original owner's matter, it had nothing to do with him.
In a situation like this, Saul actually didn't need to pay attention to him and directly walked away. But Saul thought of the town in front of him, and his tone was eager with a bit of probing.
"Ada, do you live in Mill Sail Town?"
Noticing Saul's eyes, Ada hesitated slightly, then admitted, "Yes, my sister and I live in the town now. But renting a small courtyard, the days are quite hard."
Sol beamed with joy, "Great, Ada, I was thinking of landing in Mill Sail Town. But I've been wandering around for a long time and I don't have much money on me, can I go to your house for a few days first? I promise to move out as soon as I find work."
Abrupt and straightforward requests were the most difficult for honest people to refuse.
"Alas, that, we don't have much room for people in our house." Ada's hand clutching the hoe kept shrinking, and the hoe was on the verge of drilling a pit in the ground.
With an intake of breath, Saul reached out and rubbed his flattened stomach, saying pitifully, "It's fine for me to sleep on the ground. I haven't eaten for several days, and I heard that Mill Sail Town is a good place, so I purposely drove for several days to come here. If I can't land in the town, I'm afraid I'm going to die in the wilderness."
Saul tilted his head, his eyebrows and mouth shrinking into a ball.
"Please, Ada, for the sake of us being from the same village."
Ada looked at Saul's dusty, wan face and pale, purplish lips with complicated eyes, wondering what had come to mind.
"All right, but I can only give you a place to stay, and only green bread for food and eating. You must go to town as soon as possible to find work to do."
"Hey, good!" Saul answered with his mouth full and showed his smiling face again.
Ada glanced at the field and then at the sun beginning to set in the west in the distance.
"Never mind, that's it for today." Ada walked to the side of the field, picked up the wooden basket she had hidden under the rows of fields, and came back.
"Let's go. Hey ..."
Ada walked ahead sighing.
Completely unperturbed by bullying an honest man, Sol looked around and followed Ada in the direction of the town.
On the road there were other people who farmed like Ada, some of them would greet Ada, some just looked at him indifferently and lowered their heads to continue working.
"Ada, your town is so nice! It's much more peaceful than where I used to live."
Ada's figure stalled, but he only muffled a sentence, "It's not as good as you think. Just remember to mind your own business and work hard. Maybe you can build a house outside the town and get a wife later."
Second shift!
(End of chapter)