In the cold winter of Blackhammer Castle, Alves sat in the office, next to the charcoal basin to keep warm. The guards reported various miscellaneous events as usual. Alves was used to seeing these trivial things.
He can leave some things to his assistants, but because of his high energy, he still often handles these things himself. After all, for a human being, being in his thirties is the prime of life.
"Oh, who did they deceive, commoners or nobles? Money or sex? How to deceive? What are the tricks of deception?"
Alves didn't even raise his head, he just buried his head in front of the charcoal basin to warm himself. He asked questions in a routine manner.
"They did not defraud specific people, nor did they defraud money, nor did they defraud sex, sir..."
The guard reports.
"No specific person? What do you mean?"
The guard's answer made Alves interested. He raised his head and looked at the guard with a smile. There is such a liar in the world, not for money or sex, so what is his purpose and motivation for deceiving?
"Well...well...they didn't deceive any specific person, but they showed their tricks in front of people and claimed that they could foresee the future."
The guard replied hesitantly.
"Can you foresee the future?"
Alves smiled even more happily. No one in the world has ever been able to predict the future. If he could, he must not be a human, but a god. Wait... Alves suddenly remembered - there is a kind of divination in the Moorish religion called doom.
The image can predict the future death of a child. Since the Moorish religion is not welcomed in Kislev, most people do not believe in this kind of thing and even regard it as an evil trick. But the Moorish religion
Wanted by the Snow Queen, he escaped from Black Hammer Castle under the cover of Rhodes a year ago. How could he return again? Even if he came back, he would definitely notify Rhodes, and Rhodes would notify himself again. But he did not
No. Is this a new knowledge? A new sect? Or is it just a liar as the guard said? Alves couldn't help but have doubts deep in his heart.
"Yes. They tell people in taverns for free. If someone likes what they say, they will reward them with a few small coins."
The guard continued his report.
"You don't charge money? This is very strange. Scammers usually see money."
Alves frowned and pondered, thinking about what kind of group this was, not for financial gain, but simply to divine fortunes for people.
"Where are they now?"
"In prison."
"Take me to meet them."
Alves ordered.
…
When Alves limped to the prison, several "liars" were being locked in the outermost cage. Since they had no obvious social harm, they were locked in the outermost cell and were waiting to be punished.
Those dangerous prisoners were locked in the innermost part of the cell, which was heavily blocked by iron gates. Each iron gate had guards changing guard in turn. Wails could often be heard from deep inside the cell, and the priest would go in to visit them from time to time.
Prisoners were asked to see if they were willing to repent and change their ways. However, when the prisoners learned that even if they repented, their sentences would not be reduced, most of them responded with an indifferent attitude and even kicked the priest out. For them, it was too much for an old man to be separated from him.
Instead of talking to yourself while leaning against the bars, you might as well ask a prostitute to come to the cell to make yourself happy.
Alves observed several prisoners through the iron bars. It can be said that this is the most honest group of prisoners that has been accepted by the Blackhammer Prison since its establishment. They just sat quietly in the corner, saying nothing or talking.
Like statues, a few people were still silently chanting something. Alves estimated that it was a prayer, because it could not be a spell, otherwise, there would have been chaos in the cell.
"You guys, tell me, where are you from?"
Alves looked at these strange people. Most of them were old people, and only one was a young man. He seemed a little nervous, and his eyes were strange. It gave people an indescribable feeling. This feeling
It seems to be a fear of the unknown and mysterious.
"The Empire, Reikland, Talabek, Middenland, Nordland...we have been to many, many places."
The old man said. Alves noticed that the clothes he was wearing were very shabby, the old man's face was wrinkled, and there was a string of skull pendants hanging on his chest. Alves knew that in the empire, many people would use skull emblems as decorations
, worn on clothes, or embedded in one's own weapons. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with this group of people at present.
"I'm asking where you are from, not where you have been."
Alves scolded.
"Where are you from? That's a lot. I'm from Nunn, the guy next to me is from Middenheim, and young Sanglas is from Altdorf, the capital."
The old man then replied.
"What are you doing here? My guards say you are liars."
Alves asked calmly.
"Liar is your contemptuous name for us. May I ask, sir, what did we deceive you? The people are happy because they got the answer they wanted. We just did what we should do."
"No one can foresee the future, unless they are gods, but it seems you are just mortals."
Alves said.
"Sir, the future is not unpredictable. On the contrary, destiny can be peeked into. It is like a mirror that allows you to see some incomplete fragments. These fragments can be from the future or the past or what happened in the past.
Things that happened.”
The old man spoke slowly. He was unhurried and seemed not worried about his situation at all. It seemed that this was not the first time he had been imprisoned.
"Then you should tell me, what was my past?"
Alves looked over and asked with a smirk on his face.
The old man glanced at Alves and said nothing, "Sir, do you really want me to do this?" After a while, he asked coldly.
"You have to do this."
Alves said in a commanding tone, and at the same time dispersed the guards on the left and right. Divination and prediction can also be done through the iron bars, and there is no need for guards to watch.
After everyone left, the old man summoned his companions and started a new round of divination ceremony.
Alves was half-lying on a wooden chair, looking at a few homeless people starting to "cast spells" with a contented look on his face.
"Think clearly, if you are wrong, then I will label you as a liar and send you to work in the deep pit mine for a month. If you are right, I may be able to introduce you to the lord. He is very interested in all kinds of strange things.
I’m very interested in weird professions.”
Alves spoke leisurely and chewed the nuts on the warden's table.