Hunter’s Blade - Chapter 26

[Demon Hunter’s Blade Chapter 26]

“Okay,” Charles said. “Sounds good.”

“You’re refreshing.” Gladiu was satisfied.

The army crossed the field road and reached a thriving town.

There are many storefronts along the street, row upon row of exquisite and tall houses, and there is a lot of people talking. Farmers with goats and cabbage vendors are noisy, bustling, and very crowded.

This is a place called the castle town, that is, a suburban town without the protection of the city wall. People from the three religions and nine classes gather here, and it is a place where dragons and snakes are mixed.

Passing through the castle town, the guards at the city gate slowly raised the iron gate and let the troops in. When passing through the gate, Charles looked up and saw rows of long holes for pouring kerosene. The corridors were long enough to siege the city. All burned here, forming a new barrier with their charred corpses.

After entering the city, you will arrive at the city of Ash Tree Hall. There is also a tall fortress in the city, that is the residence of the earl, a magnificent long hall, protected by many towers and city walls, occupying the highest position in the city, a long line. The walls connected the castle and the city walls so that the fortress and the outer walls supported each other.

The streets in the city are wider than those in the towns outside, but they are not much better. Where there are drainage ditches, Shire can see the black and foul-smelling sewage flowing slowly in the ditches. And domestic garbage is randomly sprinkled on the street.

“This city is really wonderful.” Gladiu sighed, “I saw at least 30,000 to 50,000 fresh human souls squirming in the city, and the mood was like when you saw 30,000 to 50,000 women without clothes rushing towards you .”

“Don’t use inexplicable metaphors.”

In the square in the center of the city, a carriage of the troops stopped, and the camp prostitutes got out of the carriage and returned to where they were supposed to go.

Alicia looked back, and Charles knew she was looking at him, so he got up from the carriage, waved at her, she laughed, and was hurried away by the other women.

Charles wondered where they had gone.

The citizens pointed at Rocher’s army, and there was a lot of discussion. They knew that Rocher was out of the city to hunt demons, so the cart that pulled the demon’s body was particularly eye-catching, and people no doubt wanted to uncover the thick cover. Cloth, take a good look at the true face of the devil.

The carriage winds its way up the mountain road, close to the earl’s stone fortress. Rocher rode to the back and found Ciel, her face was the same as always, pale and indifferent, and her eyes seemed to be indifferent to everything.

“We are about to meet Rene-sama, Your Excellency Charles.”

“Is there anything that needs attention?”

“Yes, and you need to do it immediately.” Rocher said seriously.

Chapter 33 Lenders

After entering the castle’s main building, Rocher sent Ciel to a maid.

“Excuse me, he is a visitor to meet the count.” Rocher paid tribute to the maid.

“It’s my honor.” The maid saluted.

Ciel looked at the maid. She was very young, wearing a black dress, with a white dust cloth around her waist, and her brown hair tied behind her head. Although she was a maid, her demeanor was very similar to that of the nobles she served. very formal.

After Rocher left, the maid waved her hand, as if to sweep away Ciel’s staring at her.

“Come with me,” she ordered.

Charles followed her for a quick walk down the corridors of the castle. The floors were made of rough stone and the walls were carefully milled. There were half a dozen copper candlesticks hanging on them. There, the marble bust that was supposed to be there is now completely forgotten.

The picture frame on the wall is also empty, and the whole castle looks very barren, completely different from what Ciel imagined.

“Has it always been like this here?” Charles looked around. There were diamond-shaped square windows on the top, and in the milky white light, scattered flocculent dust fluctuated.

“What has it been like?” The maid didn’t understand.

“I thought it would be more… luxurious.”

“You don’t understand, the Count is a very thrifty person. If you were as rich as the Count, with seven hundred and fifty gold coins a year, what would you do?”

Seven hundred and fifty gold coins!

A gold coin can buy a pig, isn’t that more than seven hundred piglets, and then these pigs can double in number in a year, so that there is an endless supply of pork to eat, fried pork, fried pork, cured pork, Pork soup, pork on bread, roast suckling pig…

“Buy pigs.” Charles blurted out.

The maid let out a sneer.

“My God, where do you come from?”

“What’s the problem?”

“If it was Lord Rene, he would put all the money in the vault.”

“It doesn’t seem to be any smarter than I said.”

“What are you talking about, this money is an important reserve. Sell those useless decorations into gold, so that Lord Rene can use more money to lend.”

“Lending? Lending money to someone else?”

“Yes, loan it out at five cents per month, and then collect the interest. Master Rene always makes money in a way.” The maid said.

Five cents of interest per month. If you lend 100 gold coins to others, you can earn the interest of gold coins every month, and you can earn the money back within two years. Ciel calculated it, and it seems that it is indeed very profitable.

How rich would it be if someone like Count Rene de Alberta kept lending money and keeping all the gold in the vault.

“Since the Count has so much money, where does he use it? Why not decorate the castle?”

“Hey, didn’t I say, we have to save money and use it to continue lending.”

“So just stacking gold in the vault? What’s the point of that? He doesn’t have to.”

“What’s not to use, you bastard.” The maid was a little angry, “Think about it, with so much money, the descendants of the earl will no longer have to worry about money, they can do whatever they want, Whether buying real estate, organizing an army, building a manor, or preparing for a wedding, it is very convenient. You don’t have to worry about these gold matters anymore. Look, the Count is such a kind person. And he also takes good care of us and makes custom-made products for us. Clothes and jewelry.”

“So that’s it.” Charles thought thoughtfully.

“I’m sorry, I seem to be a bit venomous? I’m honored to serve for Lord Rene and his family, so I can’t allow others to question them.” The maid apologized to Ciel.

She took Ciel to the bathing place, which was a spacious room with dim lighting.

In the center is a stone-built blast furnace, with a strong flame below, and a very wide cauldron on top of which is boiling hot water.

Under the stone furnace is a large wooden barrel, enough for a few people to stand in.

The maid climbed up the ladder on the side of the stove, turned a long pole vigorously, tilted the pot, and poured out the boiling hot water.

Ciel’s eyes widened. If you go in to take a bath, you’ll be scalded off a layer of hair. The way of bathing aristocrats is really tormenting.

Fortunately, the development of things was more pleasant. The maid climbed down the ladder, raised a small wooden bucket in the corner, and poured a large bucket of water into the bathtub to neutralize the water temperature.

She looked around at the cabinets and ledges, and pointed to Shire where the bath towels, shower caps, ash soap, flower petals, and herbs were located.

“See these?”

“Ah, so thorough.”

“It’s comprehensive, but you can’t use it. If I come back and see that these things are missing or used, you will be out of luck.” The maid threatened.

Ciel shrugged, since he was in someone else’s castle, he couldn’t ask for too much.

“I’ll bring your new clothes. It’s an average size. You’ll be able to wear them.” The maid greeted Ciel.

“Thank you.”

After the maid left, he took off his coat and trousers, untied the bandages on his body, touched the wound behind him, and found that a thick scab had formed.

Charles slowly climbed into the tub, the water was hot, and it felt wonderful to be immersed in it. He was so comfortable that he shivered, every pore was opening, making him feel very clean, the stains, ashes on his body. And the bloodstains all melted in the hot water, turning the clear water into strange colors.

Charles had lived for seventeen years and took a bath in the tub for the first time. He cherished the opportunity to rub all over his body to make sure he was clean.

He used to take a bath in the river or pour a bucket of water over his head, which always felt unclean, but now he finally had a chance to do a thorough cleaning.

If I earn seven hundred and fifty gold coins a year, I really don’t need to buy hundreds of piglets.

Charles thought.

I can buy a mansion with such a big tub in it. I can take a hot bath at any time. I wash it every day. After I wash it every morning, my meal will be at noon. After lunch, I will take a nap. At night, you can lie in bed at night, fall asleep when you are sleepy, and wake up naturally the next day.

What life could be better than this?

“Bah, where have your lofty ideals gone!” Gladius urged him irritably, “Get up and crawl out of this softening water.”

“It’s so warm, I want to stay a little longer.” Charles sank into the bucket, “Don’t rush me.”

“The water will get cold very quickly, and then the water will be bone-chilling, and you will get chills when you climb out. It’s a curse! A hot bath is a curse. The happier you are when the water is hot, the water cools down. How painful it will be after that.” Gladiu brutally destroyed Ciel’s beautiful fantasy.

“Yes, yes, thank you for ruining my enjoyment.” Charles did feel that the water was not as hot as before.

If the water turns icy, it’s really painful to soak in it, and the description of the devil makes him unhappy.

Ciel couldn’t soak in the hot water for long, and while the water was still warm, he quickly climbed out of the bucket and put on his clothes again.

“As long as your butt can still move, find me a few demons to kill.” Gladiu urged, “Don’t be greedy for enjoyment, you mortal. The strong never enjoy, the strong are always running.”

“Why get stronger if you don’t enjoy it. Have you been fighting?”

“Of course, it’s not just trying to rush you to work hard now, so that I can taste the fresh soul.”

“In addition to pursuing the soul, what other enjoyment does the devil have?”

“I’m back in full bloom, the size of a mountain. Destroying the world with the power of a sharp blade is no more comfortable than soaking hot water in a wooden bucket.” Gladiu disagreed.

“Is that really enjoyable?” Charles asked.

“Okay, go out and deal with the nobles, don’t bother me.”

“Look, you finally understand how I feel. I’m also annoyed when you babble.”

“You’re wrong, I’m invincible because I can hide.” Gladiu was silent in Ciel’s soul.

Ciel estimated that he couldn’t hear it no matter what he said. He felt that it was very unfair. When the demon was talking nonsense, Ciel could only listen, but when Ciel was talking nonsense, the demon could hide.

He pushed open the door and went outside, and found the maid waiting with her new clothes.

“Come here,” she greeted. “You feel much better, please put on your clothes, although you are indeed… strong, mature, and powerful…” She looked at Ciel’s body.

Charles put on the new clothes she handed over, a wool bottoming shirt, felt pants, a cowhide waistcoat, a black leather jacket, and a pair of straw-colored loafers.

“Do you live in this city?” The maid put away Shire’s old clothes. “I can send them to you after I wash them.”

“If nothing else, I will live in the Hunter’s Sanctuary.” Ciel explained, “The headquarters of the Demon Hunter.”

“Oh, that’s a cursed place.” The maid was a little surprised.

“As long as I’m here, the curse is nothing,” Ciel said confidently.

“It remains to be seen.” The maid pouted, “Let’s go.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“Go to see Lord Rene, where else can you go?”

They went up the spiral staircase to the upper floors of the castle. The castle was really big and the walls were thick. The charr was careful everywhere. There were shooting holes in many places for defense. The crossbowmen could aim at the courtyard outside by standing on the stairs. Through these gaps, you can see the playful noble children on the lawn, guarded by nannies and knights.

The maid pushed open a mahogany door, and Ciel saw a lot of people inside.

The entire parlour is not big. In the first place sits a middle-aged aristocrat, with a broad body and a bald head, but there are some gray-brown hair flowing from the temples, a big nose, small eyes, deep eye sockets, The beard is thick and not pleasant.

Charles reckoned that it was Lord Rene de Alberta, Earl of Ashtree Hall.

And sitting next to the noble was a young man with chestnut red hair, with a broad skeleton, tall stature, heroic appearance, very high-spirited, and looked both confident and proud.

Rocher was holding his helmet, standing on the red wool carpet, talking to them slowly.

On both sides of the living room, the armored guards guarded the law and order with axes and swords, their eyes fell on the saber in Ciel’s arms, and they all glared at Ciel.

Being stared at by the guards like this, Ciel felt hairy.

“Go on, you are better than them, conquer them. Kill this fat boy, since the nobles are dead, this place will be chaotic, suitable for us to have fun. Don’t be afraid, I have regained a lot of strength, even if surrounded, Can help you out of trouble.” Gladiu shouted sharply.

“Stopping point.” Ciel muttered in his heart, “I still want to get a bounty from him.”

“As I said before, this is the Demon Hunter, Your Excellency Ciel.” Rocher motioned and introduced them.

Ciel bowed slightly to the nobles to show respect.

“Charle.” Count René said in a hoarse voice, took a sip from the wine glass and moistened his throat. He was wearing a beautiful brocade shirt and a fur shawl. “I heard that Federico is dead.”

“Yes, Master Frederick died in action.”

“And you inherited his keys…inherited the local Hunter’s Sanctuary?” Rene asked.

“I’m the only demon hunter in the sanctuary now, so I think, I do inherit it.” Ciel shrugged.

“Then you should also inherit your debt… Charles, by the end of this month, your Hunter’s Guild will owe me 205 gold coins, plus 12 silver coins and 23 copper coins.” Count Rene tapped the table lightly with his fingers, “… Five cents a month interest, don’t forget to pay it back.”

[End of This Chapter]