Roy came to the outside of the bakery, but it was still a few dozen minutes before he heard a rapid and irritable knock on the door—
Two men with wooden sticks and shabby clothes were cursing in front of the bakery,
"Open the door, my ears are deaf!? Believe it or not, let the fire burn you to death?!"
"It's your honor to see your house! Those who are sensible, hurry up and sign the contract," a middle-aged man with big braids and a garlic nose shouted arrogantly, "This chance is just one more day. The price is one hundred less!"
"Who are you?" The young man in the cloak came quietly behind the two of them, his dark golden eyes turned to them, confirming that they were two ordinary people, "Why are you standing in front of the house?"
Garantou turned around abruptly, startled by the young man who quietly approached him, pointed at him with a wooden stick, and squinted at him with a pair of sullen triangular eyes, "Who are we? You can't mess with it. The person who got up? Hurry up and get out of here, I need to buy bread and change the place!"
"You're young, don't meddle in your own business and ask for trouble." Another red-skinned, fat man also pointed the stick at Roy, noting the other's unusual pupil color, short hair, and a well-proportioned and explosive body , inexplicably a little frightened in his heart, "Otherwise... otherwise, you will suffer."
Roy shrugged, too lazy to talk nonsense.
The hand behind him stretched out in front of him, and his right palm firmly grasped a wooden training sword. He turned the wooden sword lightly, pulled a few sword flowers, and the hilt of the sword sank to his waist. neck.
The foot naturally opened the T-step.
The body bows slightly and relaxes.
If the two were White Rose's knights, or other official forces, he would still consider it carefully, but if they were obviously not in the mainstream, they could get rid of them by asking themselves.
Just trying it out.
"Stinky boy, be polite to you, how dare you slap your nose on your face?!" Tuan Tuo nose scolded, without saying a word, smashed the wooden stick in his hand at the young man.
The front end of the wooden stick swept towards his chest from left to right. Instead of retreating, he took a step forward. Against the direction of the wooden stick, the training sword drew a straight line from right to left.
There was a crisp sound of 'bang', the strong sword body blocked the wooden stick halfway, and at the same time, the figure-eight-shaped handguard blocked the front end of the wooden stick, and the electric light flint slid against the stick body, and the blade moved forward—
Garantou's nose let out a painful cry, as if he automatically sent his chest to the tip of the sword, a sword was struck under the sternum, and he fell back with a scream.
The wind blows!
The fat man smashed Roy's head from the side with another wooden stick. He squatted lightly and went around under the stick.
Fatty only felt a flash in front of his eyes, he lost the other person's figure in his field of vision for a short time, and just wanted to withdraw his weapon.
Roy stepped forward like a civet cat on tiptoe, landed silently, turned his left wrist, and raised the hilt of the sword he held upside down, hitting Fatty's side face hard.
"Snapped… "
The fat man fell heavily while covering the redness and swelling on his face. Amidst the dust, he squeezed the wooden stick with his fat white fingers. Just as he was about to get up, the training sword was already on his neck.
"Don't move..." Roy shook his head, and Anjin's pupils turned to the garlic nose that was still screaming on the other side, showing a warning color.
It was too slow, all the attacks of these two guys seemed to be slow motion in his eyes.
With nearly twice the agility of ordinary people, he easily dodged the swinging stick, grabbed the gap and handed out the blade, ending the unequal battle within three seconds.
If replaced with iron weapons, he has already killed two people, and he has not used many means such as shock and awe.
Sure enough, as the witcher said, when the attributes overwhelm the opponent, there is no need for fancy swordsmanship, and one sword is enough to end the battle.
Unfortunately, defeating them does not bring the slightest sense of achievement.
The young man patted Fatty's dull cheek with his training sword, and Anjin's eyes became deep, "Don Lier, Frossi, I know your names!"
"I'm the commander-in-chief of Prince Heward's bodyguard, the witcher hired by Dennis Kramer to investigate the case. You dare to show up in the bakery again," Roy threatened in a stern voice, "then I'll tell him... Recently You are the suspects in several murders!"
"Don't... Master, please don't talk nonsense!" The fat man immediately looked terrified and his lips trembled, "We'll get out of here right away, I swear to Goddess Meritelli that I will never harass old Huck again!"
"I swear too!" Tuan Tuo nose threw away the wooden stick in a panic,
"Go away!"
…
After a while, Roy watched two embarrassed figures jump out of the yard and put the training sword into the space.
A few steps to the closed wooden door of the bakery, just as I was about to knock on the door, there was a burst of hurried footsteps, followed by an old, hoarse and familiar voice,
"Master Roy? Are you outside... cough... drive away those two bastards?"
Kaz —
The withered cheeks of the baker came out of the crack in the door.
He was dressed in a plain and crude grey linen suit. I haven't seen him for a few months, and his appearance is much older. His hair and beard have completely turned white, messy like a chicken coop, his eyes are sunken, and his pupils are bloodshot.
Even the figure is hunched up.
He was holding a candlestick tightly in his right hand, obviously preparing to use it as a self-defense weapon, but he could clearly see that the visitor was relaxed.
"How did you follow..."
"Don't ask! Asking is burned by fire... " Roy knew what he was going to say, and immediately stopped the damn question, and got into the wooden door with a weird look on his face
In the dim kitchen, the two sat opposite each other. The teenager looked around. The whole room was bare, except for a few chairs and the old large stove fixed on the wall.
"I haven't seen you for a few months. How come you have changed more than me? Have you looked in the mirror recently? Your face is so bad! It's like a malaria patient," Roy shook his head and comforted, "Even if Basher is gone, you You should also take care of yourself."
"Master, thank you for your concern." Hearing the name of his deceased son again, the old man's wrinkled face filled with sadness, and then he gritted his teeth, "But the only motivation for old Huck to live now is to find that thorn. A son of a bitch with a sword!"
"Well, what happened to the two guys just now?" Roy asked curiously, "Why bother you and insist you sell the house?"
Old Huck sighed, "In order to investigate the clues, I spent all my savings, I really have no money, and all the old customers are lost, and the bakery's business is unsustainable... So I plan to sell this house for some crowns. ."
"Those two shameless bastards didn't know where they heard the news. As soon as my house was put up, they ran up to the old man to harass and threaten, and wanted to buy the house at a price far below the market price."
"Be a mother's dream of spring and autumn!" Old Huck's turbid eyes shot a cold light, and he picked up the candlestick on the ground and waved it in the air, "The old man is not a softie! I will never let them succeed - the money to sell the house is too much. To continue the investigation, not a single penny!"
"No one cares about this kind of thing?" Roy realized the crux as soon as he asked, "Is it because of the recent murder?"
"You guessed it, the knights of the White Rose have been devastated by the serial murder case, how can they manage the 'small case' of extortion... Only two bastards dare to be so rampant... If I had any money, I would have hired someone ruthlessly. Beat them up!"
"Don't worry, I warned them just now," Roy Anjin's pupils flashed a stern look, "They won't harass you again, otherwise, I will clean them up for you!"
"Thank you Master for your help," Old Huck gritted his teeth. "When the house is sold, I will give you a payment, but please forgive me, the amount will not be too much."
"No need, it's just a little effort," the young man declined. He didn't want to charge for something that could be done in five seconds, and the two exchanged chats for a while.
"You spent all your savings to investigate, so what did you find?"
"The money is not in vain, I did get some clues." The old man's cloudy eyes flashed a little when he mentioned the suspect. "Do you remember when Basher disappeared?"
"December 27, last year!" Roy blurted out, and the scene of the farewell between father and son was still etched in his mind.
"According to common sense, at that point in time, it is impossible for the White Rose Knights to go to the remote Wigan River..." Old Huck nodded and said, "But that day was still a special day... After multiple arguments, I confirmed that there was a team of White Roses. The knights left the city gates in the morning and returned in the evening."
"What special day?"
"On December 27 last year, Queen Emilia of Ellander left the city of Ellander to pray for blessings at the Temple of Meritelli, and a team of White Rose Knights escorted them along the way." Old Huck's tone paused, and he saw it. The doubt on the boy's face explained, "Queen Emilia and Prince Siward have been married for many years, but they have not been able to give birth to a child and half a daughter, and Goddess Meritelli is in charge of fertility, so the content of the prayer can be imagined. Know… "
Roy was stunned. He suddenly remembered that one day a few months ago, when he was training swordsmanship with the witcher in the courtyard, he seemed to hear a few girls onlookers talking about it.
"Wait, the queen's name is Emilia?" The young man rubbed his temples with his fingers and thought, "Why does this name sound familiar."
"Looks like you remember," Old Huck's eyes flashed with pride, obviously delighted with the results of his investigation, "before my poor boy Basher died, he said two names, one was White Rose, the other is Emily…”
Emily... Emilia...
"Didn't he mean Emily, but—"
"That's right, actually the name my poor boy called out on the verge of death was the queen's name... It took me a long time to figure it out," he said firmly, "Basher mentioned the queen. , mentioned the Knight of the White Rose again... Therefore, the person who stabbed him must be among the knights who escorted the queen to the temple that day!"
"I don't know why that bastard left his post without permission and ran to the remote Wigan River, and I don't know what my son has offended him!" Old Huck's face flushed with excitement, and his body trembled with anger , "But I'll get him out, ask, I swear!"
The old man's chest bulged high, took a few heavy breaths, and then asked, "Do you think, Master Roy, is there something wrong with my thinking?"
Roy rested his chin in his right hand and pondered for a moment. He felt as if something was wrong.
"Does Basher know Emilia?"
"I know! Elland, from the old man in his fifties and sixties to the children of three years old, has seen the respected Her Majesty the Queen. She is a beautiful and gentle woman."
"Does Basher know that the queen is going to the temple that day?"
"This..." Old Huck hesitated for a moment, "I shouldn't know."
do not know? Doubt flashed in Roy's eyes, how could he call Emilia's name
Old Huck got up suddenly, trotted to the front hall, and after a while, handed over a crumpled yellow paper, or more precisely, a list with more than a dozen names written on it... The handwriting was ugly, Distorted, it can be seen that the person who wrote it is not good at this.
"I bought a servant in the palace... I almost went bankrupt, so I got this list from him. The knights who escorted the queen that day are all on it... There are fifteen people in total... Take a look!"
Roy glanced at the baker's owner with admiration. The old father who lost his son was able to do this by himself.
If what he said is true, the Knight of the White Rose who stabbed Basher, is in it!
The teenager took over the list and browsed through it.
"Lynton Foreman, Simon Patrick Latin... Clay Colint... Sylvester Pedy..." The boy's eyes narrowed, and there was an acquaintance, but this guy was already lying on the corpse The room gasped, "Arthur Taylor."
"Do you have backups?"
"Have!"
"Leave this to me," the young man thought for a while, "I'm working for the chief of guards of Prince Heward. If I have the opportunity to contact the Knights of the White Rose, I'll check it out for you by the way."
"Thank you, Master!" Old Huck's beard trembled, and he immediately took his hand excitedly, "If you can help me catch that guy, I'll give you two hundred crowns as a reward!"
Roy nodded, not wanting to stay here for too long, "Old Huck, take care of your body and stop torturing yourself!"
This time, he didn't refuse the reward... Fighting against the White Rose Knight took a certain risk, and it was considered a commission.
…
By the time we left the bakery, the twilight had completely closed…
It was inconvenient to visit the deceased's house at this time, so Roy rushed to check the place where the six bodies were found.
It is a pity, however, that the nearest deceased was two weeks ago, and the first deceased was more than three months old. The time was too long, and the scene was turned upside down by the knight of White Rose... Even if there are subtle traces also destroyed.
The boy searched with his witcher senses for more than three hours before returning without success.
The night was already deep.
Roy returned to the "Pot Belly" tavern, took out a black-cased kraft paper brochure from the space, and began to record today's investigation results—
After becoming an official witcher, he asked for this notebook and a quill from Aunt Nannick, ready to record all the strange, dangerous and interesting experiences he had encountered in his life.
For example, the hunter ghost of Kadel House, the deer head spirit of Carbon Mountain, the evil chief of the Smirk Mine, and the cursed werewolf Aaron. These are all recorded as teaching materials for training apprentices - or "suicide notes" for successors...
"May 20, 1261.
The Ellander serial homicides.
Victims investigated:
Farquel... embezzling bank money... wife... children...
Beggar old Bar... disabled legs... surprisingly lazy...
Letho's Missing Field: Two bifurcated blood trails.
…
The record is complete.
He meditated for a quarter of an hour, regained some energy, turned to leave the tavern, and found a remote corner in Ellander City that was deserted. The shadows are obscured here, the moonlight cannot shine, and the patrolling guards do not come.
The late-night investigation is unsustainable, and the training that has been delayed for several months can no longer be slack.
With both hands grasped from the void, he grabbed Guvihir, bowed and relaxed his muscles, with his left foot in front and his right foot behind in a T-step, the hilt of the sword was parallel to the right face, the blade was raised horizontally, and the tip of the sword pointed On the opposite side of the imaginary enemy's neck, he began to practice long sword swordsmanship, five starting positions, basic moves, and footwork.
Compared to before the grass trial, his movements were faster and more explosive - but in the connection, the subtleties were quite jerky, and he had not yet fully adapted to the skyrocketing attributes.
This discomfort must be corrected through a daily routine of extensive training…
After an hour of swordsmanship training, Roy, sweating profusely, took out the hand crossbow Gabriel and began to try his newly acquired enchantment ability—guide arrows.
First aim at the tree for ordinary shooting, and the depth of the arrow penetrating the bark is similar to the length of the first knuckle of the index finger.
However, the guided arrow shot—the moment the trigger was pulled, a strange feeling arose, and Roy instantly realized that something was drawn out of his body and merged into the hand crossbow.
Mana -20
"Whoosh-" In the sharp sound of breaking through the air, the arrow slid across the long night...
He didn't stop, pulled the trigger as soon as the interval of 0.4 seconds came, and fired 7 guide arrows in a row within three seconds like a storm.
Mana: 5/145
When he stopped shooting, a feeling of weakness that was different from physical exhaustion came to his mind. A blurry white light flashed in front of his eyes. The scene in his sight seemed to be painted with paint. Roy bent over to support his knees in dizziness.
After ten seconds, the dizziness stopped.
"Breathe...breathe...fortunately, the experiment was done in advance." If Roy realized something, the magic power was consumed too fast...the body would have adverse reactions. "It seems to be careful in future battles."
After slowing down, the teenager checked the arrows on the bark. Compared with ordinary shooting, the guided arrows penetrated significantly deeper into the bark, about half as much.
The small increase in penetration in the skill description is not small at all.
After that, Roy continued to practice the crossbow shooting technique... An hour later, he observed that the magic power had recovered from 5/145 to 6/145, and he couldn't help but raised his eyebrows and was quite dissatisfied.
"Is it the reason why my elemental talent is too low?"
He did not expect that the recovery speed of mana in ordinary states other than meditation was so slow, which meant that the guided arrows could not be used continuously unless a special decoction was consumed.
After reaching the conclusion, Roy terminated the training and returned to the room of the "Pot Belly" tavern to meditate.
The distance and tracking ability of the guided arrow will be tested again when there is time next time. A living creature with sufficient speed and response is the best test object for tracking ability.