civilwarnovels Chapter 309 Huge Debt
Chapter 309 Huge Debt
Chapter 309 Huge Debt
Anne was riding a horse.
Equestrianism was also a compulsory course for heraldry apprentices, since becoming a qualified heraldry officer inevitably required riding fast horses around.
Especially on the battlefield, heraldic officers often acted as the ears and mouth of their masters, needing to negotiate with the enemy on their behalf.
This was also the subject Annie did the worst in; to be honest, she felt that she was sometimes clumsy.
When they were in the library, she would often kick the corner of the table with her toes, and she still gets angry when she thinks about how Aaron smirked at her.
Fortunately, Annie never gives up and managed to pass the course, albeit barely.
At this moment, horses are galloping swiftly along the roads in the suburbs.
Two guard knights followed on either side of her.
Sir Finn must be in his forties, while Sir Ryan is over fifty.
The three of them have been assigned to carry out a mission together, and they are currently on their way to the mission location.
With two Guardian Knights by her side, Annie was no longer so afraid of danger.
The Guardian Knights are said to be the twelve most powerful warriors in the world.
But after arriving in the royal city, Annie discovered that it wasn't quite like that at all.
These twelve seats, no matter how you look at them, seem to have been set up to balance the power of various factions.
Therefore, his selection criteria are not entirely based on ability.
However, Anne did not doubt their fighting ability; perhaps they were on par with Gentleman Seth in terms of strength.
If Laura were here, she might be able to give a more accurate conclusion.
Sir Ryan suddenly turned to Finn and teased him:
"Hey buddy, why are you always staring at that young girl?"
Finn shrugged it off: "There are only three of us. If I don't look at him, why would I look at you? Aunt Anne, on the other hand, is quite pleasing to the eye."
"And I've vomited over your old face countless times in the past twenty years."
"You're almost fifty, why are you still thinking about that inch or two thing? Do you really still have that kind of thing in the morning?"
“I’m not as old as you,” Finn stretched on his horse. “I visit brothels at least three times a week, and the rest of the time I go out on the streets looking for young girls who are just coming of age, unmarried, and interested in this kind of thing.”
"You really have a lot of free time," Ryan shrugged. "With that time, you should practice your swordsmanship more. There's still room for improvement in your martial arts."
"What's the use?" Finn scoffed. "The way of the earth riders is long dead. What are we wielding our swords for? What are the Guardian Knights fighting for? The old king? The divinely bestowed Great Codex?"
"I've long understood that we are nothing but pitiful creatures caught up in worldly struggles. Since that's the case, why not indulge in our desires and enjoy pleasures to the fullest?"
"We fight for justice."
"Justice even dies before chivalry."
"Anyway, get your filthy, lustful eyes away," Ryan said. "Master Anne is a court official; don't get yourself into trouble."
"Perhaps Master Anne is quite eager for this as well," Finn said to Anne. "Miss Anne, would you like to play with me? I promise I'll make you feel good."
Anne remained completely calm: "I must refuse."
She was already a grown woman, so she wouldn't react in any particular way to such jokes.
If she is easily swayed by others' words, it means she is not yet a mature emblem artist.
Anne noticed Finn's gaze from the very beginning, but she chose to ignore it.
She knew that, at least along the way, Finn wouldn't do anything to him.
Finn is very close to the Third Princess, and there are rumors in the palace that the two have some kind of ambiguous relationship.
Ryan, on the other hand, often did things for the eldest prince.
The two served different masters and belonged to different camps, so they would not easily leave any dirt on each other.
With both sides keeping each other in check, Annie's safety was ensured.
Anne guessed that there must have been such considerations behind Commander Jonas's arrangement.
However, Jonas told Anne that the two of them had some old acquaintance with him and could be trusted to some extent.
What was their past relationship with Jonas?
Annie was curious, so she inquired:
"Sirs, I've heard from Commander Jonas that you share a deep friendship."
"Friendship?" Ryan frowned slightly. "We've certainly had our share of dealings over the past few decades, but to call it friendship..."
"In any case, I am glad that Mr. Jonas is willing to be my friend. He is a genius and very capable, and most people in the court respect him."
“We’ve made a lot of mistakes before, and it was Mr. Jonas who pleaded for us,” Finn said. “Of course, he wasn’t doing it out of personal favor, but we, the Holiest, are also knights and will never forget his kindness.”
"But we've paid back what we owed him. We'll always give him some help, do things for him, and even take sides."
“But then again,” Ryan said, “Finn, it’s been a long time since we’ve worked on a mission together, hasn’t it?”
"If it's just the two of us Guardian Knights, it's indeed rare. When was the last time? Hmm, I can't remember. Could it have been more than ten years ago?"
"I still remember that mission from over a decade ago vividly; it was truly unforgettable. It was a disgrace for both of us."
"Losing to a loyal dog is nothing to be ashamed of," Finn said. "You're setting your standards too high."
“Perhaps you are right,” Ryan said, “but the court back then was much more united than it is now. Ha, the eldest prince back then, though reckless, was certainly a man.”
"He is loyal and righteous, and clear about right and wrong. We, the Royal Guards, are all willing to submit to him. Even Jonas was very close to him back then."
"The eldest prince back then?" Anne asked.
She certainly knew who it was, but asking questions was undoubtedly the best way to raise the issue.
“Mitchell Sinclair,” Finn replied, “we both followed him to the Montero Hills, only to be captured by the loyal dog alone—though, ever since that battle, the master has been behaving rather strangely.”
"eccentric?"
"Although his manner of speaking and tone are no different from before, his behavior is somewhat different. The simplest example is that he no longer resists going to the Herald Academy to attend classes."
“Yes,” Ryan chimed in, “I bet you’ll like him too, Annie.”
Anne didn't think so. She didn't like reckless people; someone more mysterious like Aaron appealed to her more.
Of all the people Anne knows, only Seth somewhat fits her preferences.
Seth is not bad looking, he's just a little too old.
However, mysterious people are not suitable to be friends. If Annie can't figure out what the other person is thinking, she can't feel at peace.
Aaron is definitely not someone to be wary of, but the others are a different story.
However, since Mitchell Sinclair was so favored by these two men, she must have possessed a unique personal charm.
"Alright, Annie, we've arrived," Ryan said, pointing to a small castle in the distance.
"That castle is really dilapidated," Finn clicked his tongue. "It would have been better to just turn it into a manor. Since it doesn't protect against thieves anyway, it's better to pursue comfort." "After all, we are members of the Sinclair family, so we should always pay more attention to security," Ryan said.
"But this branch is quite distant; it's several generations of relatives of King Claude?"
Anne replied, "Seven generations removed, descendants of Jared VIII, who have not intermarried with the main line since. This branch seems to be poorly managed, frequently borrowing from the royal family; they still owe the treasury nine thousand gold coins."
"So, if we recover the debt, that would be a major achievement?"
Ryan shrugged and said, "Dream on. If they had the money to repay the loan, why would they need to borrow money?"
Anne said, "Please remember our mission: to investigate the assassination of the Duke of Luca."
Anne's task was to represent the royal family, reassure and comfort this branch of relatives, and coordinate a resolution to the dispute over the inheritance.
Soon, they arrived at the foot of the small castle.
The city gates opened, and the three were let in.
Sean Sinclair and the old lady greeted them together.
Sean said, "My father died in his study, and there is no dispute over his inheritance. I agree to give my brother five hundred gold coins as a leave of absence."
Anne nodded: "In that case, please take the two knights ahead to investigate the scene immediately."
"This way," Sean led the way, "To be honest, I already know who the killer is."
Ryan said, "Please continue."
"Although we don't know who the employer is, the assassin must be an assassin from the Cube Alliance. Sirs, have you ever heard of this organization?"
“Of course,” Finn said. “This assassin organization that rose to prominence in the West is quite the talk of the town right now. They’ve not only assassinated a papal bishop, but also the Duke of the Plains, and now they’ve even set their sights on Sinclair. They’re really audacious.”
Anne, however, looked serious, so only she knew the true reason why this organization was established.
Soon, he arrived at a dimly lit room.
Although the body had long been moved, the stench in the room was indeed pungent.
As they approached the spot where Luca had been assassinated, Ryan immediately said:
"That's right, this is the work of the Block Alliance. Look, their signature block symbol is left here."
Something's not right! Only Annie frowned; something was amiss!
Because the symbols in front of us are not Chinese characters, but a completely unrelated set of symbols.
Could this also be a copycat?
Or is it that Block Alliance doesn't only use Chinese characters?
Anne could not draw a conclusion, nor could she reveal her findings, otherwise she would surely be suspected by the two Guardian Knights.
She decided to ask Lola about the situation later.
But Anne didn't want to get too involved in this case.
After investigating for a while longer, Finn and Ryan decided to close the case.
Anne didn't interfere; it wasn't her job to begin with.
After finishing everything, the three prepared to take their leave.
Then, the old lady stopped the three of them:
"My lords, I have another request."
Dealing with the Sinclair family was Anne's duty:
"What are your orders, Madam?"
"Actually, we haven't found all of my husband's estate."
Anne asked, "Please tell me in detail."
"My husband once told me that he had left the children a fortune enough to survive any hardship, but after he died, we searched the entire castle and still couldn't find the fortune he had mentioned."
"Gentlemen, you are all intelligent people. Could you please help us search the castle?"
Anne looked at the two riders, and they nodded at the same time.
Then she said to the old lady, "We can give it a try."
Thank you.
"In that case, I'd like to ask, do you have any leads?"
"My husband usually locks himself in his study. I suspect there might be some clues there."
Anne nodded: "Then, lead the way."
Soon, Anne and the others were taken to the study in the castle.
The study is small; after placing the bookshelves, there's not even enough room to hang any decorations on the walls.
The three began searching the study.
The knight's approach was simple and brutal; he simply ransacked the place.
Anne, being a skilled reader, opened and examined the Duke of Luca's correspondence from his lifetime.
Then, he started looking through the books on the bookshelf.
Just then, Anne seemed to hear the sound of books.
From a young age, Anne could occasionally hear books talking to her.
Therefore, she was able to know the contents of books without reading them.
Hearing these sounds again now, she couldn't help but concentrate.
"That."
"there·--"
"It's right there!"
As the voice became more and more specific, Anne was startled.
Gaze immediately at what the book points to.
In the center of the bookshelf, there is a recessed area where a derivative emblem based on the Platinum Codex hangs.
Since the walls are filled with bookshelves, this seems to be the only way to hang the shield.
But why should those books lead it?
Annie was curious, so she placed her hand on it.
The golden cherub on the emblem suddenly dented, and then the floor trembled slightly.
When I came to my senses, the bookshelf had already collapsed with a small hole.
A ridiculous underground tunnel unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Finn immediately lit the candlesticks on the table and led everyone down the hill.
Soon, they arrived at a basement.
Then, Ryan exclaimed:
"Oh my god!"
The golden light before their eyes reflected back at the candlelight, making it almost impossible for everyone to open their eyes.
Finn asked, "Just how much wealth does Ari have?"
Annie made a rough estimate: "At least 30,000 gold coins."
"Damn it," Finn cursed, "they're so rich! Yet they keep going to the palace to complain about being poor and demand money."
"Nobody complains about having too much gold," Ryan replied.
Anne then said, "Don't forget, knights, there are nine thousand of them belonging to the royal family."
The two immediately smiled: "Master Annie, this is a great achievement!"
Anne shrugged: "It's all thanks to the three of us."
Finn said, "If that's the case, the eldest prince and the third princess will surely want us to gain more credit. Hmm, just thinking about it gives me a headache. I'd rather the princess ask me to kill someone."
“I am the same,” Ryan said. “Master Annie, you don’t seem to belong to any faction, and you were indeed the one who discovered the basement.”
What's even more telling is that you're already quite old, and your contributions still mean the same to us. As for you, your future is full of limitless possibilities.
Upon hearing this, Anne no longer hesitated:
"Thank you very much, gentlemen. I will remember your generosity at this moment."
The two chuckled and began to study how to move the gold coins.
Anne returned to her study and told the old man about the basement mechanism.
While waiting for Finn and Ryan, the old man found Anne:
"Young lady, is the mechanism truly that emblem?"
"Yes."
"But I tried it, and there was no response at all."
"?" Annie was a little confused.
He walked toward the heraldic shield and placed his hand on it.
The authorities swindled money so easily, and the criteria for judgment seemed very lenient.
The old lady immediately imitated Anne's method and placed her hand on it.
However, there was no response.
Anne was very confused.
Why is this happening?