Chapter 2 The Wanderer, Bloodline Suppression and In Other Words
I opened my mouth slightly and asked in a very soft voice:
"Gail?"
"Don't ask me, I've been immersed in watching your embarrassing appearance after being played by gangsters from the beginning, and I didn't even bother to pay attention to where this woman came from."
...Not reliable at all.
I caught the eye of the man by the fireplace.
It turns out you are really looking at me...
I walked over.
"Did the word 'poor' just now refer to me?"
"Is there a second lonely and pitiful existence here?"
"..."
I looked at her without saying a word.
"I'm not alone."
As if she understood what I meant, she immediately denied it.
"But..."
"I'm not alone."
"Okay..."
The firm tone in the other party's words made me compromise, even though what I said was an established fact.
"I just started to feel lonely two minutes ago."
"..."
The words were covered up by the cheers for unknown reasons around her. She obviously didn’t hear what I said.
Alas, the abominable "easiness of integration".
As long as the surrounding noise is too loud, it will be difficult for my voice to be heard clearly. I am very helpless about this.
So I sat on the sofa that was occupied by her alone.
"Why sit here without permission?"
"In order for you to hear me clearly."
"What?"
"..."
I slightly adjusted the distance between me and her.
"I said it's not like I didn't have anyone with me just now..."
"In other words, being blackmailed by gangsters counts?"
"...You saw it..."
"Because it's very conspicuous, but you just give in?"
I followed her gaze - the gangster I was talking to earlier was drinking leisurely.
"Well, no problem, if that guy..."
I answered nonchalantly.
"Poor guy."
"Why repeat it?"
"Because it's really pitiful."
Her words were so bland that I couldn't tell whether they contained sarcasm, pity, or both.
...What a weirdo.
But I haven't felt anything like being overwhelmed yet.
Why is this...
I looked at her - the firelight was currently reflecting on her beautiful profile. It might be the light that made her fair skin look a little sickly.
Her eyebrows are very slender, and her slightly squinted eyes look lackluster, but the cold aura in them adds a touch of charm to her.
"Maybe she's really beautiful..."
A common problem among men.
"Thank you for your deserved compliment, but in other words, saying this suddenly is as disgusting as lifting up a stranger's skirt on the street."
It seems that I accidentally said it.
"...What an outrageous metaphor."
"In other words, to your dismay, I can't wear a skirt."
I started talking to myself again...
"...I won't do the kind of things that only gangsters and gangster friends would do, so don't worry, and the fact that you don't wear a skirt has nothing to do with me, okay..." The strange woman next to me seemed to deliberately ignore my questions and just sighed softly.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen you before."
"In other words, don't you only have eyes for tracking?"
"Well..."
How much does this guy like "in other words"?
He actually knows something about me. It seems that he is not a recent traveler to Woolworth.
I always feel like...the guy sitting next to me always has a cold attitude when talking to me. Is he annoyed...
Maybe he has lost interest in me and hopes that I will leave soon... Then I'd better be more conscious...
At this time, a tall wanderer appeared out of nowhere and stretched out his hand to her with a smile on his face:
"I didn't expect Miss Xue to be here too. She's such a rare visitor. Are you interested in dancing together? I'm good at any kind of dance!"
Oh, boy, your invitation method is very uncharacteristic.
The Wanderer seems to have completely ignored my presence.
I thought about leaving the tavern after she went dancing with Wu Xingzhe, but she didn't move.
After about a second, she stretched out her left hand, but she only waved it gently in the air two or three times with her slender fingers, as if she was brushing away dust - she was letting Wanderer go away.
I'm sure the look on her face is clearly one of impatience.
This gesture of waving her hands is very simple, but when she does it, it has an indescribable charm.
Wu Xingzhe, who was sapped by this indifferent reaction, walked away sternly. Before leaving, he glared at me, as if he was complaining that everything was caused by me being superfluous.
I responded with caring eyes: It must take a lot of courage to take the initiative to strike up a conversation with such a cold person, right? It must be very uncomfortable to be decisively rejected in the end, right? I understand, I understand...<
/p>
Beautiful.
Deserve it...
I looked back again, feeling inexplicably relieved.
It's really strange...I thought she didn't want to continue chatting with me, but she sent away the wanderer who came to invite me without hesitation...
Let me just ask:
"Do I need to go too?"
"I won't stop you if you want."
"Well..."
I was even more confused. The person in front of me didn't seem to want to talk to me, nor did he mean to refuse.
Just like...a middle man.
"That person called you 'Miss Snow', right?"
"My name is 'Snow'."
"Just call it 'Snow'?"
"In other words, you still have to know my last name?"
Her slender eyebrows were slightly raised, as if she thought I was unreasonable.
"...I am too talkative. Sorry, Miss Xue."
"What a disgusting title."
"...What should we do?"
"'Snow' is fine, plus 'Miss' sounds a bit noble. I'm not a noble."
"You hate aristocrats?"
"In other words, I obey the nobles."
After saying that, she stood up on her own.
"What's wrong?"
"It's time to end this small talk."
That means I have to leave.
"Then it's almost time for me to leave here."
Snow glanced at me:
"You want to follow me?"
"How is that possible! I just don't want to stay here!"
"Then why follow me?"
"...I remember the tavern only has one exit, isn't it?"
"..."
So, Xue and I walked out of the tavern. The snow that was still flying in the air had stopped, while Xue beside me walked leisurely, not deliberately trying to distance myself.
This was the first time I met such a person, and it gave me a feeling of detachment.
"Are you a wanderer?"
"Yes."
This time Snow unexpectedly didn't choke me with "in other words".
The sound of the hourly bell sounded in the distance, and the wind blowing around me made me feel inexplicably uneasy.
It should be eight o'clock in the evening now, I confirmed it in my heart.
...Well, winter is like this, it's deserted outside, anyone staying in such an environment will unconsciously feel empty and other emotions... Go back quickly...
.
"There was a cry of a child."
Gale suddenly spoke.
"Oh?"
I stopped, and Xue stopped as well.
"Tired?"
"No...it seems that there are children in need of help nearby. Maybe they got lost with their parents..."
"So?"
"It's nothing...it has nothing to do with me anyway, let's go."
I decided to continue on my way, but the snow still stayed in place.
"Can you tell where the child is?"
Faced with the sudden problem of snow, I shook my head - in fact, I couldn't even hear the child's voice.
"Then I'll look for it myself."
Surprising answer.
"Okay, then...goodbye."
This guy is surprisingly warm-hearted.
Xue and I looked at each other for a few seconds, then as if remembering something, she pointed at my face:
"It's time to shave your beard."
"Ah..."
I subconsciously touched my chin - the thick beard was a bit prickly.
By the way...it seems like my hair hasn't been taken care of for a long time, and part of it is hanging down to my shoulders.
How long has it been since I paid attention to this...
"Your beard is too long, in other words——"
"I know, I know! No need to say 'in other words'!"
This guy's "in other words" doesn't have many good words behind it...
"...Then, I'm leaving, Mr. Lonely."
Xue left these words and left me who had not yet reacted.
After the snow went away, I shouted softly:
"Hey, Gail."
"What do you want to ask?"
"Have I told her my name?"
"No."
This time Gale knows the answer.
......
The next day was sunny.
Early in the morning, the streets were bustling with activity. There was thick snow everywhere last night, but now it has been cleared away.
I yawned and wandered aimlessly - it seemed that it would take some time for the lord to arrive. Except for various officials in the city and people who took the initiative to lay flowers, everyone else looked very lackluster.
This group of listless people must be the same group of people who drank last night - I assert that.
I really don’t understand why the pubs in the city are so keen on holding dance parties.
After a while, I heard a salute from the North City Gate, and the crowd around me started to get restless. Before I could recover, I was taken away by the crowd.
At the city gate, the people stood together consciously, and the army stood in front of them. In the open space about a hundred meters away from the crowd, there were only two people, one kneeling on one knee and the other standing with a sword.
Except for those two people, all the people and soldiers present kept their heads down without saying a word.
After seeing this scene, I realized that the knighting ceremony had come to an end.
The one kneeling must be the lord.
I quietly used my peripheral vision to observe the old man holding the sword standing in front of the lord in the distance.
This is the first time to be so close to His Majesty the Emperor.
There is no doubt that among the people present, I am the only one who can do this kind of behavior of peeping at the emperor. Everyone else's heads are bowed.
Because there is something called [bloodline suppression] in this world.
The source of "bloodline suppression" is the emperor.
As the supreme ruler of the empire, the royal family has been blessed with the [Crown Marriage] for generations. Once inherited, those who are close to the host will irresistibly feel awe and obedience.
The emperor endows his own blood with the ability to mate in different proportions. By drinking the blood, he can have bloodline suppression and become a noble.
Except for the emperor, this ability of other nobles is controllable, and the emperor can withdraw the royal blood from the nobles at any time.
According to the strength of bloodline suppression ability, the levels of nobles can be divided.
In the Saint Vance Empire, when low-class people meet high-class people, they will spontaneously show surrender.
This is why the minority noble class can manage such a huge empire smoothly.
No matter how small the blood suppression ability is, it can be inherited, so the emperor only needs to hold a blood-letting investiture ceremony when a new noble is born.
Information about bloodline suppression is not easy to collect. I only know so much at the moment... not to mention that I am not interested in it.
It is worth emphasizing that as a person who does not originally belong to this world, I will not be suppressed by any blood.
Looking at the people around me who were bowing their heads and sweating on their faces, I could probably feel the pressure in their hearts.
I think of snow.
Is she among this group of people?
I found that I couldn’t imagine how Xue’s proud face could be humbled.
I couldn't find the snow with my peripheral vision either.
I pretended to lower my head while thinking wildly.
Although it is rare for the emperor to visit Fulvos in person, it is quite normal. After all, this is a central city...
But such an important city actually allowed a newly born noble to serve as its lord, and was even willing to take risks to hold an investiture ceremony at the city gate...
......
After the investiture ceremony, the emperor left. The newly appointed lord rode a horse and entered Woolworth surrounded by people.
The expressions on people's faces are much more relaxed than before. After all, the most powerful bloodline suppression is no longer there.
The lord waved kindly to the crowd, with a smile on his angular face.
However, a scream broke the atmosphere:
"Something happened! There...someone is dead inside!"