Chapter 35 Brandy

In the Mark Business Club, not only are there many rooms built so that the tired and busy merchants can get a rest in time, but also provide a safe warehouse behind the business club, guarded by several Mark soldiers who were disabled on the battlefield. Although these soldiers were a little disabled, the bloody smell on the veterans who had been on the battlefield was enough to make those who had attempted the merchants' goods flee. Moreover, these soldiers were not ordinary hired soldiers. They were retired soldiers in the Mark Legion and could get retirement salaries every month. It was only their duty to guard the warehouse.

"Look, our goods are only handed over to the custodian here. They will give us a number sign like this. When we want to take out our own goods, we must use this sign to correspond to the sign on the goods inside, so this is a very precious thing." The merchant looked at Dick's cargo number sign, and then put it in his arms.

"You can sleep here today. We are so lucky. Although there is no fireplace in this room, there is a fireplace." The merchant led Dick to a room with solid wooden doors. The room was close to the innermost location, but it was well ventilated. Dick saw that there was no bed in the room and only three high platforms made of mud.

"What is this?" Dick stroked the mud platform curiously, and then asked the merchants.

"Oh, this is the kang. Look, the firewood has been burned down there, so hurry up and rest." The merchant lay comfortably on the kang, and the warm kang made him fall asleep quickly.

"It's incredible." Dick also lay down. The mud platform under him was very comfortable. The heat gave his tired body a full rest. Dick had no dreams all night. When he opened his eyes, it was already dawn.

Because it was close to the street, the sound of busy work outside and the neat steps of soldiers woke Dick up. He walked to the window and saw people coming and going on the street, which was very lively. This scene was rare in a small knight territory. Dick followed the street and saw a group of naked soldiers. They were running along the castle under the leadership of an officer. They shouted neat slogans while running. The soldiers riding horses were training their horses in the open space, and everything seemed so vibrant.

"Hey, you're awake, then come with us to the castle quickly." The merchant walked into the room and saw Dick awakened.

"Okay." Dick followed the merchants downstairs. In the lobby in the business club that was specially prepared for people to eat, the merchant distributed some of his food to Dick. Although it was a club that provided free accommodation, if you wanted to eat, you still had to pay for it yourself.

"Let's go, merchants are allowed to enter the castle today. Let's go queue up quickly." After having breakfast, they came outside the castle gate and saw many merchants waiting at the entrance of the castle gate. Guards wearing leather armor and holding long halberds carefully checking every person entering to prevent the infiltration of spies.

"It's our turn." After waiting for a long time, it was finally Dick's turn and his party. The guards carefully checked their luggage and bodies to prevent weapons from being hidden. No one entering the castle could carry weapons.

"Okay, you can enter." After checking, the guards found that they had no prohibited items, so they waved their hands to let them enter.

"Wait." Suddenly, a man with a gray wind hood came out of the castle. He blocked Dick and his party's way. When the guard saw the man, he quickly saluted.

"What's wrong? Sir, we are businessmen who come to handle the procedures." The businessman also saw the man's noble identity and quickly said carefully.

"No, it's not you, it's this young man." The man pointed at Dick. He slowly walked around Dick and looked at Dick's limp legs carefully.

"Sir, this is the writer we hired." The merchant didn't know what was wrong, so he had to tell the truth.

"Sir, I'm just a writer." Dick looked at him nervously, with the man's dark face under the wind hood. For some reason, Dick felt the man's body exuding a cold smell.

"Compiler, um, interesting, where did you come from?" the man raised his lips and asked.

"I am a traveling scholar from Milan's united city-state." Dick stabilized his emotions and said calmly to the man.

"Tell me, what's there?" the man asked.

"What?" Dick asked in confusion.

"Since you've been there, let's talk about what's there?" the man said.

"Well, the capital there is a water city. People will drive narrow wooden boats. Cargo and people will enter the port along the river, where they can lead to the sea. The most famous is the carnival every summer. People with all kinds of strange masks will roam on the streets. The Holy Father will choose to leave the Holy City on that day and go on patrol other places until three days later." Dick said slowly. Although this was what he saw in the book, the emotional investment made people unable to tell the truth.

"Okay, go in." The man suddenly remained silent for a moment, then waved his hand to let them leave.

"I'm so scared." Dick secretly breathed after entering the castle. This man was so scary.

"Sir Srick, that guy was fine just now." The guard looked at Dick and his group entering and walked to the man and asked.

"Well, it's okay." The man walked out of the castle without looking back, and the guard shrugged in confusion. When the man took a few steps, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the castle, "The youngest son of the Baron family, hey, what a bold guy. Are you going to find out the truth of Mark or have other plans, let me wait and see."

Schwab led the craftsmen to carefully put a barrel of wine into a copper container tightly wrapped with iron sheets, and set up a bonfire at the bottom of the container. The high temperature of the bonfire made the red wine in the copper ware boil. The steam rising up condensed together along the copper tube, and slowly dripped into the basin below along the mouth of the copper tube. After a period of time, the condensed liquid gradually gathered together, filling half a pot of transparent liquid.

"Sir, we have succeeded. Please give this wine a name." The craftsmen shouted excitedly, and Schwab nodded happily, and then tasted a little the liquid in the basin. It turned out that the wine was very strong after distillation.

"From now on, this is our Mark's own specialty wine, so call it a brandy bar." Schwab was happy with the new specialty he found, which would increase his wealth a lot. However, when he remembered the movements of Srick telling the lords around him, Schwab's heart sank, "You have to test it repeatedly in this cellar, and I'm going to sign a few documents."

"Yes, Lord Earl." Schwab vacated a cellar as a place to experiment with brandy, where the craftsmen perfected the production of brandy.

"Where is Srick?" After walking out of the cellar, Schwab asked William, the young attendant guarding outside the door.

"Mr. Srick has just left the castle, and he said he would go to the border to inquire." Little William said quickly.

"What an elusive guy." Although Schwab was not interested in Srik, he believed in his ability very much, and there seemed to be nothing he could not find out. However, Schwab himself also collected some information through the business club. The lords around Mark's territory were indeed moving, and seemed to be constantly conspiring with something.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir." Schwab only thought about things himself and bumped into a man in the castle. The young man saw the blouse that Schwab was wearing and the coat of arms on the blouse, and quickly apologized to Schwab.

"No, I bumped into you, I should be sorry." Schwab saw the young man limping and hurriedly helped him, "Are you a businessman?"

"No, I am the writer hired by the merchants." The young man showed a bright smile, and Schwab felt a little embarrassed for his disability. If it weren't for this little flaw, this young man would have been the perfect lover of the girls.

"You can write?" Schwab asked.

"Yes, I can write many kinds of words and make legal documents including contracts." said the young man.

"Oh, really?" Schwab developed a good impression of young people from the bottom of his heart. You should know that Schwab studied law in his previous life. It is rare for this era to be able to read, but it is even more rare to understand the knowledge of law. Although people at this time still believe that the law is not as noble as religion, it is an indispensable thing for people in this era to regulate disputes. It is just the so-called legal questioning method that often leads to unjust cases.

"Yes, although I have only learned a little, it is enough to deal with ordinary precedents, sir." The young man said proudly.

"May I have your name?"

"My name is, my name is Dick Romi." Dick originally wanted to make up a false name, but Schwab was full of sincerity, so he finally said his true name, but changed his last name. He believed that Schwab would not know his true identity.

"Is that true, Dick, good name, let's go with me, it's very interesting to talk to you." Schwab invited happily, and was very happy to meet a colleague in this era.
Chapter completed!