It was originally Sheriff Kevin's job to catch gangsters wandering in the forest, but judging from people's evaluation of him, he did not do his job well.
In two years, Old Kevin couldn't even catch a carpenter hiding in the forest. The people in the area talked a lot and had great doubts about his ability.
Simon had just become the lord here not long ago, and he didn't trust the Sheriff who was surrounded by criticism, so he specially called Bill back from Dihes Village to investigate this suspicious case.
As for Krieger, a mountain man who is familiar with the nearby environment, he is now building a workshop in Diheis Village to make longbows. Simon had no intention of letting him take over anything else until he finished the job at hand.
Sheriff Kevin had some objections to this, but he was helpless. He had to prove himself, so that night, Kevin came to the wooden castle and repeatedly begged Simon to allow him and Sir Bill to capture the important criminals together.
Considering that Kevin was a local and would be more familiar with the nearby conditions than Sir Bill, Simon finally agreed to his request.
Early the next morning, Bill, Kevin, and ten armed soldiers who would assist them in catching the bandits ate some bread with warm milk in the fort, and then set off to the forest with their hounds.
Simon watched them go from the terrace at the top of the wooden castle tower, praying in his heart that they could bring back good news, or rather, bring back the murderer who had attacked the ranch the night before.
When the backs of Bill and his group disappeared into the early morning mist, Simon turned back and told little Klein: "Prepare a large glass of cider and a large piece of roast beef for me."
The appropriate sourness can stimulate appetite, and the strong apple cider combined with the grilled beef that is sizzling and oily makes Simon full of energy.
"Let's go to the mill by the river." Simon wiped the remaining oil stains on his mouth and stood up from the shelf table. Little Klein handed over the belt and armed sword next to the armor stand. .
The morning sun splashed lazily in the village, and the farmers had not yet started to go out to work. Simon rode "Lucky" along the trail in the east of the village towards the Rhine River.
After leaving the village, "Lucky" seemed a little excited. In an open space covered with green grass, its steps became lighter. It seemed that it was enjoying the early morning wild air.
When Simon heard the sound of water flowing, he knew that beyond the grove on the river bank was Cliff's mill.
Sure enough, not long after Simon, who was carrying little Klein and two armed soldiers, walked in the woods, a wooden house covered with vines and a small windmill appeared in front of them.
Next to Cliff's cabin was a closed warehouse and a small shed filled with firewood. A donkey brayed from the warehouse, and Simon speculated that the miller owned a considerable fortune.
"Master, this lazy guy doesn't seem to have gotten up yet. Do you want me to wake him up?" Little Klein looked at the deserted mill for a while and looked into Simon's eyes.
"Go." Simon nodded. Little Klein got off the horse smartly, strode to the wooden house, and knocked on the door.
"Which bastard is that?" An impatient voice came from the room, "Go away, I want to sleep!"
The two armed soldiers beside Simon looked at each other and suppressed their laughter. They knew someone was definitely going to be out of luck.
"Who are you calling a bastard? Damn it." Little Klein stopped knocking on the door with his hands and began to kick the wooden door hard. "Baron Simon is here. Is this how you welcome the lord?"
The cursing in the room stopped, and then there was a rustling sound. After a while, a disheveled guy with messy hair opened the door.
"My lord," Cliff was startled into a cold sweat. He saw Simon riding a horse not far away. He quickly knelt down on one knee and said humbly, "I'm very sorry. I didn't know it was you who came. Please forgive me for being rude. A while ago, gangsters often came to disturb my sleep. I thought it was those gangsters who came to see me again."
"Since you don't know, forget it. Pay more attention to me next time. Are you Colliff here?" As the saying goes, the ignorant are not guilty, Simon just frowned and waved his hand, looking at the miller.
He had shrewd green eyes and a chin as broad as a shovel. Like most millers, he wore a white turban and a leather apron.
"Yes, sir, I am the miller here, Cliff." Cliff lowered his head slightly and saluted Simon, "I am willing to serve you."
"Very good," Simon's mouth twisted, "I know you know some hooligans, or bandits, in the forest. Someone reported to me that some of them will come to you to sell stolen goods, right?"
"As God is my witness," Cliff defended himself loudly, like a frightened cat that had been poked at a painful point, "This is definitely a false accusation, sir. I have no dealings with those scumbags... "
"Don't pretend to be stupid," Simon interrupted Cliff's quibble, "Of course you have interacted with them! However, I'm not here today for this matter. I just want to know if there is a new one here recently. Gangsters?"
Cliff's face was red and he couldn't say a word for a long time. He scratched his cheek and said with some lack of confidence: "Sir, please believe me, I really have no dealings with those gangsters..."
"You are testing my patience, Cliff," Simon once again interrupted Cliff. "If you still act stupid like this, I don't mind letting these two soldiers help you recall your memories. Now, you just have to answer That’s it for my questions.”
"Okay, sir," Cliff raised his head and glanced at the two armed soldiers with unkind expressions, then quickly looked away, "I can only tell you what I know, but I want to explain in advance that I and those Rogues have nothing to do with it..."
"You tell me."
"Three nights ago, I had finished my day's work and was lying on the bed with my wife." Cliff licked his tongue, and Simon noticed a woman behind the window of the wooden house looking out secretly, " Suddenly, someone knocked on my door."
"Who's knocking on your door?"
"A stranger with a foreign accent, my lord," Cliff paused, seeming to be recalling something in his mind, but from the perspective of little Klein next to him, he seemed more like thinking about how to continue making up the story. , "He looked very hungry. He gave me two copper coins and wanted to exchange for some food."
"That's it?" Simon raised his eyebrows.
"Yes." A thin line of sweat ran down Cliff's forehead. "I was very surprised. I asked him why he didn't buy food at the tavern in the village. The Stump Tavern has famous fruit wine and fragrant barbecue. He told me to shut up. Mouth, warn me not to ask about things I shouldn’t ask, otherwise he will give me a hint of color.”
"If this person is so suspicious, why didn't you report it to the sheriff the next day?"
"This..." Cliff was a little incoherent, "I noticed that he had a rusty hatchet on his waist. Through the weak firelight in the house, I saw several of his accomplices in the darkness nearby. He warned Me, don’t tell anyone what happened tonight or he’ll come back and chop off my and my wife’s heads.”
"I know," Simon called Little Klein, turned the horse's head, and prepared to leave. "Coliff, you'd better not lie, and you'd better not be involved in this matter, otherwise I will chop you off too." Brain!”
"I swear I didn't!" Cliff grimaced, looking innocent.
When the sound of horse hooves faded away and disappeared completely, Cliff sat down on the ground with relief. Only then did he realize that his back was completely soaked with sweat.
"Honey," Coliff's wife helped him up, her hands shaking, "what's next?"
"I went to the village chief Duden to get back the silver coin. I don't want this pasture anymore," Cliff gasped, speaking a little awkwardly, "Oh my god, I didn't expect that Lord Simon didn't do what he expected. Usually he gets angry and tells Theodore to get lost, but instead he spares no effort to search for the murderer!"
"My dear, he is not Baron Quinnier, he is Baron Simon," Cliff's wife hugged his waist, "We can't speculate on him the same way we speculated on Baron Quinnier."
"If anyone tells me that those damn nobles are all virtuous next time when we are drinking, I will definitely give him a good beating." Cliff stood up with his hands on his hands, "I'm going to find Duden now. .”
Cliff picked up a worn rag and wiped the sweat from his head, walked to the river, washed his face, and calmed down for a while.
He opened the door of the warehouse, picked up a bag of ground flour and put it on his shoulder. He asked his wife to lock the door, and then walked along the path towards the village.
A bag of ground flour was the signal for him to connect with Duden.
Five days ago, Duden sent Adam a batch of wheat to grind into flour. Adam said that after the matter was completed or if there was an emergency, the ground flour would be sent to his home. Would arouse anyone's suspicion.
The flour was heavy, but Cliff couldn't feel it. He only felt that he was anxious. If things are revealed, the life that seems to be going well so far will come to an end.
"Hey, Cliff, what's got you so worried?"
While passing through a farmland, a farmer saw Cliff who was in a hurry. He put down his hoe and straightened up to say hello to him.
"Damn it," Cliff realized that he was now full of flaws. He tried to slow down his pace and said to the farmer with a smile, "The village chief is in urgent need of this bag of flour. I will deliver it to him personally."
"So that's it. Then send it to him quickly. Duden is not an easy person to talk to." The farmer nodded and picked up the hoe again, while Colliff secretly wiped a cold sweat.
Cliff walked on and tried to look relaxed as he walked into the village. He succeeded in not attracting any attention.
He knocked on the door of the village chief's house. Duden opened the door for him personally. His nephew Adam went to the fields to supervise the farmers' work.
"Has Lord Simon come to see you?" Colif asked hurriedly as he unloaded the flour from his shoulders.
"Shut up, you stupid thing," the village chief Duden glared angrily, put his middle finger to his mouth, and motioned for Colliff to keep his voice down. Then he stuck his head out the door and looked around for a while, and after confirming that no one heard him, he continued, "Come in and talk."
