Soon, Benjamin left the confessional.
He blended in with the passing crowd and left St. Peter's Basilica inconspicuously.
This communication with the bishop was fruitful for him. First, he knew he was cursed. Although this is bad news, it is better than waiting until something happens to find out, and it can still be regarded as a gain. Secondly, he also got today’s biggest gain—Michelle’s information.
After the bishop nodded, he told Benjamin some news about Michelle. Only then did Benjamin realize that Michelle had already been doing bad things. Since five years ago, she has been active in the royal capital: attacking nobles, stealing treasures, spreading rumors, and promoting heresy... Not only that, but she survived unharmed for five years under the crazy pursuit of the church, and she did not even last long. Time passed silently.
It can be said that the people in the church were fooled around by her, but they could not even touch a hair on her head.
Even now, the church has not figured out what level her magic has reached. The bishop believed that she had reached the level of a great magician, and no one without the level of a bishop or a great knight would be able to deal with her. Because of this, the church was very afraid of her.
In this regard, Benjamin just wanted to say: You are thinking too much.
Although he couldn't figure out Michelle's strength, she was even afraid of a team of "Purges", so how could she be so powerful
This empty city plan is really beautifully sung.
Of course, what concerned Benjamin the most about the information given by the bishop, apart from the long struggle between them and Michelle, was the stronghold they discovered that Michelle had used.
By chasing Michelle, the church discovered no less than twenty of her abandoned strongholds.
Now, Benjamin also keeps these strongholds firmly in his mind.
At this moment, he was walking on St. Peter's Street outside the church, thinking about his next plan: He wanted to search all of the more than twenty strongholds, which was definitely inevitable. But be careful that he must not arouse the suspicion of the church. If his true purpose is discovered by the church, he will only end up in the same situation as Michelle.
He didn't want to be put on the church's purification list so early.
Because of the curse, the church regarded him as bait, so it would naturally pay special attention to him. But trying to dig out more than twenty strongholds under the nose of the church is nothing more than a daydream.
You have to find someone to do this for you...
"By the way, didn't you say before that I had a personal servant named Jeremy or something like that? How come I never saw him?"
Thinking of this, Benjamin asked the system.
"Jeremy is not feeling well. Didn't the housekeeper say that when he woke you up this morning? Do you have any memory at all?" The system found an opportunity and immediately jumped out to despise Benjamin.
"Really? I usually can't remember what they say to passers-by who don't even have names." Benjamin learned to be as shameless as the system, without any shame.
The system was speechless.
However, when it comes to servants...
Speaking of which, Benjamin suddenly realized that his status in the entire Reese family was not as low as he thought.
He also has the servants he should have. Although the grandma had a bad attitude towards him, it was only due to her own personality and had nothing to do with Benjamin. As for the servants, they didn't look down on him just because he was born a loser or something. Like the housekeeper who was a passerby, he tidied the floor and prepared toiletries. He just provided the service and his attitude was irreproachable and respectful.
This is the professional attitude a servant should have!
Come to think of it, no matter how useless he is, he is still a nobleman, and cannot be compared to ordinary servants. The plot of servants pointing fingers at their masters and stumbling over them in various ways is probably only seen in eighteenth-rate novels.
"Although Benjamin is a loser, his life is actually not bad." Thinking of this, Benjamin sighed.
"The poor life of rich people and the poor life of ordinary people are two different things." The system calmly added, "But I still want to remind you that you only have one Jeremy, but your brother has two men. Servant, a maid. Your servants earn thirty pounds a year, and each of his servants earns fifty pounds a year. Do you still want to say that you are living a good life?"
“…”
Benjamin felt convinced by the system.
At that moment, he suddenly felt that this life was really unbearable. Life without one hundred and fifty pounds a year to hire servants was simply dire straits, without any dignity in life.
I have fallen so fast, and the corrosion of feudalism is really hard to resist.
Comparison is indeed the original sin of mankind.
"Why did you suddenly mention the manservant? Are you going to ask him to help you dig out Anne's belongings?" the system asked, bringing the derailed topic back to the normal world.
"You guessed it right." Hearing this, Benjamin nodded.
Hiring another person will only make it more troublesome. It is better to find someone you trust.
Although his valet may also arouse the suspicion of the church, after all, he is receiving protective attention, not suspicious attention. People in the church will only focus all their attention on themselves and not care so much about the people around them.
Moreover, after he came out of the church, he was also keenly aware that someone was staring at him. After using the water element for a while, he discovered that it was a patrolling knight and a priest dressed as a passerby.
Two people, that’s what the bishop meant when he said “God is always watching you.” In order not to arouse Michelle's alarm, the church's "watch" was loose enough. Although Benjamin was complaining in his heart, from another perspective, this was very beneficial to his freedom of movement.
Just two people, what can we see? If he were hiding in the house of the Riise family, the two of them would probably not even know what he was doing because of the nobles' reputation.
Of course, he didn't intend to take too big a risk. When he is really ready to take action, he will use some tricks to make the church people further relax their vigilance.
"Based on what you mentioned, this Jeremy should be a trustworthy person." Thinking of this, Benjamin asked the system.
"Believable is credible, but I still think he may not be qualified for this task."
Benjamin was puzzled: "Why?"
The system hesitated for a while, but finally gave the answer: "Because... he is really too timid."
After hearing this, Benjamin couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
At this moment, a hasty call brought him back to reality from his conversation with the system.
In the distance, he saw a panicked figure gradually approaching, and soon, he was rolling and crawling in front of him.
"Master Benjamin, I have finally found you."
Looking at this man's appearance, Benjamin actually wanted to laugh a little. He has a thin and short body, a pointed chin and small eyes. He is wearing a combination of black jacket and white shirt that is usually worn by male servants. However, the dirty clothes betray him. He is not at all like the servants of ordinary noble families. Decent and energetic.
It looks like a mouse, but it doesn't look like a mouse, it just looks like a mouse.
But Benjamin didn’t smile or show any strange expression.
Because the system told him in his heart: This is his manservant-Jeremy.
"What's wrong, Jeremy, what happened?" he asked seriously.
Jeremy held his knees, took a breath, and then said: "I'm sorry, young master, I had a bad stomach and took leave today, so I didn't wash my clothes. I embarrassed you outside. I..."
“…”
In fact, Benjamin didn't want to ask this, he just wanted to ask what he was doing in such a hurry.
But... forget it...
"Then why did you come to me?" Benjamin had no choice but to ask again.
Jeremy quickly waved his hands and said, "Ah, no, I'm not looking for you, it's the master. The master, his wife, and Master Grant have returned from the territory, and the master is looking for you now!"
oh
When he heard the news, Benjamin was still shocked. However, he had rehearsed this scene countless times in his mind. Therefore, he did not panic. If he was nervous, he would be a little nervous, but only a little.
It will always come.
Although biological parents seem to be closer, when it comes to estrangement, it is probably the deepest gap between children and parents. Children rarely let their parents know who they really are, and parents hide many sides of themselves.
Especially the children who are least valued in the family; especially those who are in the most rebellious adolescence.
Judging from some of the fragments of his past life displayed by the system, he and his father were strangers, and the atmosphere was awkward and dull every time they spoke. In the past, Benjamin was taciturn in front of his parents, unable to hit a fart with eight sticks. This level of imitation would not be difficult even if he didn't have a golden finger in acting.
In short, he already has the confidence not to be discovered.
"I know, I'll go back now."
After Benjamin finished speaking, he glanced at the cautious Jeremy, and suddenly said: "By the way, you do something for me."
"Master, what's going on?"
Benjamin thought for a while and said: "I remember correctly there is a carpenter in the east. Go there and help me buy a cross there. Be careful. By the way, you are not allowed to ride in a carriage. I don't have that much pocket money." You pay the toll."
Jeremy's face suddenly drooped: "Ah... Master, it's very far there. I can only buy things back by walking in the middle of the night."
Benjamin showed a kind smile and said, "It doesn't matter, go slowly, I'm not in a hurry."
What you want is to be far away. If it's not far away, I won't let you go.
This is Benjamin's little trick: constantly sending Jeremy to run errands, do things that are insignificant or to show his piety. If the people in the church are still willing to divert their attention to Jeremy after running like this every day for more than ten or twenty times, then they are considered great.
After the church's attention was completely diverted, he could ask Jeremy to dig out Anne's relics.
Even if you are picky about the system, you have to admit that this is a good approach.
In this way, with a bitter face, Jeremy began the first step of his long march. And Benjamin stopped thinking about it, quickened his pace, and walked towards his home.
His father is looking for him, so he can't continue walking here.
The Reese family's house was originally in the upper town, not far from St. Peter's Basilica. Not long after, Benjamin arrived home. The servant at the door said nothing, saluted him, and opened the door to let him in.
"Master, they are all in the living room."
The servant at the door reminded.
He nodded to the servant, walked into the room and came to the living room.
However, the moment he stepped into the living room with his right foot, he immediately realized something was wrong.
This atmosphere is a bit scary.
And... why... are there so many people in the living room
The originally huge long table didn't look long at all now. A majestic middle-aged man with a stern face sat at the main seat. That was Benjamin's father. To his left, a row of people were sitting one after another: a well-dressed woman with an uneasy face, that was Benjamin's mother, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old blond young man looking at the table in a daze, his younger brother, and a man who was turning the pages. The old lady with blank eyes was Benjamin's grandmother, another middle-aged man wearing gold and silver, whom Benjamin didn't recognize, and another blond boy, whom Benjamin still didn't recognize...
There were about ten people in total, and half of them were people that Benjamin didn't know at all and didn't belong to the Reese family.
These people all sat there without saying a word, and the atmosphere was horribly oppressive.
Especially when Benjamin appeared, a row of gazes were directed at him, each one like a searchlight in the hand of the police. It felt like the next second, along with the warning of "don't move", bullets were about to follow. .
Obviously, they are all here for themselves.
"what's the situation?"
Benjamin was a little frightened and asked the system in his mind.
"Why are you panicking? I've seen this scene many times." The system was very calm. After saying this, he paused on the ground for a while, and then said something lightly, poisoning Benjamin half to death.
It said: "They are all here to break off the engagement."
“…”
Benjamin was chagrined. Why did he hoard so many online novels in his computer? It poisoned an artificial intelligence that was supposed to be smart, cheerful, and progressive every day, making it so united, tense, serious, and lively.
Despite this, he couldn't help but followed the system in his mind:
"Thirty years to the east of the river, thirty years to the west of the river, don't you bully young people into poverty?"