"Barto's death is indeed fishy!" Miral thought to herself, her eyes flickering with a shrewd glint. As a broker dealing in the sale of freemen and the black glove of the nobles in Kurah City, she was naturally well-versed in the dirty dealings behind the power transitions of large families. She could tell at a glance that something was amiss with Barto's death.
"Could it be… the Gwath siblings…" Miral pondered for a moment, but then shook her head. It didn't matter who killed Barto; the fact was that he was now dead. Her interest in uncovering the truth was not to avenge Barto.
"Although Barto's death is not to be mourned, the task entrusted by the nobles is still incomplete. So, if Barto is dead, then the slaves he had previously secured have now fallen into the hands of Grace… no, Gwath?" Miral's brow furrowed slightly as she realized this.
Prior to this, she and Barto had been in a partnership. They had clear divisions of labor: Barto would find ways to oppress the common people, causing them to lose their homes and land and fall into dire straits. When they were at their wit's end, Miral would step in as the "good guy," using the pretext of offering employment to deceive them into signing indenture contracts.
Of course, if any mishaps or loopholes occurred, Barto would step in and have Gwath, the constable, cover up and handle the aftermath on the official front. Among the three, Barto was the intermediary. Miral and Gwath, however, were not acquainted with each other.
"For the tasks entrusted by the noble masters, it seems I must find a way to meet Gwath…" Miral thought to herself, and immediately called her subordinate to go find Gwath and present a visiting card. The subordinate took his leave, and Miral also quickly tidied up, preparing to go out and purchase a gift.
Gwath, as a Just Knight, the captain of the Hipu Town constabulary, and Barto's brother-in-law, was not immensely wealthy, but he was relatively well-off. Therefore, if one were to give money as a gift, it would likely require at least ten gold coins. Miral, of course, would not spend so much money, so she had to think of other ways.
Aside from money, the best gift for a knight would be something related to enhancing one's strength. Divine weapons, armor and warhorses, magical potions, powerful breathing techniques… all of these would make very appropriate gifts. However, the only problem was that these items were also extremely valuable, and Miral simply could not afford them.
After much deliberation, Miral finally decided on a gift: a garment made of wolf fur.
"I've heard that Gwath's nickname is the Wild Wolf Knight. He once followed the Wolf King Knight Legion into battle and thus has a fondness for anything related to wolves. A fine wolf fur jacket, although it would cost several tens of silver coins, would be much cheaper compared to weapons and armor," Miral thought to herself.
After leaving the exchange, she headed towards the tailor's shop. However, on her way, she happened to pass by Liton's private clinic. When she saw Ron, who was welcoming guests at the entrance, she couldn't help but pause.
"Isn't this… that young man from the Yegel family? What is he doing here?" Miral stopped in her tracks, pondered for a moment, and then turned to approach Ron.
"Ron, do you remember me?" Miral greeted with a refined smile on her face. Upon hearing her voice, Ron's pupils slightly contracted, but he remained composed, his demeanor natural, and smiled at Miral.
"Of course I remember, Mrs. Miral."
Miral looked Ron up and down, feeling somewhat surprised. Compared to a few days ago, although Ron was still dressed in inexpensive clothes, they were clean and without stains. His figure remained slender, but he seemed more spirited than before. His handsome face was no longer timid but was filled with sunshine and confidence.
"Ron, you seem different from before after just a few days," Miral said, thoughtfully observing Liton's private clinic. "So, have you found a job?"
Ron nodded and replied with a smile, "Yes, Mrs. Miral, I am now Mr. Liton's assistant." Ron recounted his experiences of the past few days to Miral. There was no need to hide anything, or rather, Ron had intended for Miral to know his current status. Only if Miral knew that he had become Liton's assistant would she be deterred from taking action against him.
Upon hearing Ron's account, Miral's expression indeed changed slightly, and her gaze revealed a hint of gloom.
"Damn it! How did this kid get noticed by Liton?" Miral was somewhat frustrated, never expecting that Ron would have such an opportunity!
"Mrs. Miral, are you alright?" Ron noticed Miral's stiff expression and feigned concern, quickly inquiring. "Is there any discomfort? Shall I register for you and have Doctor Liton take a look?"
Hearing the greeting, Miral snapped back to reality. She forced an ugly smile and said through gritted teeth, "No need, Ron, I'm fine now, very fine…"
Pretending to be relieved, she said to Ron, "Ron, congratulations on becoming Doctor Liton's assistant. Then I won't hold that previous job for you." Miral paused for a moment, still somewhat reluctant to add, "However… if you are not happy at Doctor Liton's place, you can still come to me, and I will introduce you to a job!"
Hearing this, Ron snorted inwardly with cold laughter but feigned gratitude on his face and said, "Mrs. Miral, thank you for your kindness, I will remember it."
After exchanging a few more polite words, Miral turned around, her expression suddenly turning cold, and she hurriedly left. Ron, watching her retreating figure, also retracted his smile, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Miral, just you wait, Barto is dead, and soon it will be your turn!"