noble pharmacist

The streets of Oak City have never looked so cold.Calfskin booties crunched on the unmelted snow.The houses on both sides of Stone Street were almost empty, and some houses had their doors open, and the cold wind blew from the porch into the cold hall with a fireplace, and there were a few old letter papers that came from nowhere in the wind.

The people who did not flee looked out from the gaps in the closed windows, their faces were gray and white with despair.

Soldiers knocked on doors intermittently, urging people to pack up their things and break out with them.

Shunbei Agate River goes all the way north to a place called Heather Valley.It is said that there is freedom, peace and tranquility there.

Someone silently carried their luggage and left with the soldiers.

Someone pretended not to hear, locked himself in the basement, and muttered something to the icon of Jesus.

"It's really different." Anderson thought: "It took him only one month to change this place from a city of hope to a city of despair."

The guard put a dagger on Anderson's back and told him to move faster.The cold wind outside was like a whip, and the knees with old injuries were so stiff that they seemed to be broken immediately.Anderson was only wearing a thin shirt, and he stumbled while walking in the strong wind.

Among the accompanying soldiers was a young man with the brim of his hat pulled down so that he couldn't see his face clearly.He was walking obliquely behind Anderson, and suddenly followed closely, took off his coat and handed it to him: "Wear warmer, it will be colder hanging on the city wall later."

The man who grabbed Anderson's arm was very disdainful: "They are all dying. What does it matter if it is cold or not? Our frontline soldiers also wear so little clothes. Does the noble body have to be more delicate?"

The young man who couldn't see his face reminded him: "If Mr. Black knew what happened today..."

"Bah!" The man spat on the ground: "I can't stand it anymore! A person of his status even shields nobles! If he hadn't strongly opposed it on behalf of the supervisor, this person should have been hanged on the square long ago." Rotten! If he hadn't betrayed Oak City..."

Anderson was kicked on the back, staggered two steps, and his eyes were spinning.

The cold numbs the pain, and the sight of the street and the sky is as unreal as a nostalgic picture.

Anderson remembered Ryan's words.

"Oh, by the way, I promised Black Bear Bailey not to interfere with your disposal."

But he finally intervened—Anderson felt a tightness in his chest.

"The jury has not yet ruled that he is a spy of the Royal Knights." The young man sneered a little: "Although Mr. Black led a group of citizens to escape the siege the day before yesterday and his life and death were unknown, what if—I mean, what if he came back alive? ?”

Anderson felt that the young man's voice was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he heard it.From some simple conversations, he understood that the defense of the city had failed, and the Liberals were organizing the citizens to flee in batches.Seth didn't attack the city like a normal battle, he surrounded the town and cut off all the supply routes.The lack of food and hunger made the people of Oak City change from strong to desperate, from orderly to panic.The real attack was as Anderson had guessed, on a cold, windy and snowy night.Oak City held that night, but lost about half its soldiers.

It was on that night that Ryan took over the decision-making power and began to organize the citizens' organized breakout retreat.

The people who escaped went north along the Agate River, looking for a place called Heather Valley.It is said to be safe there.

"It would be nice to strengthen the defense that night according to what Mr. Black said..." Someone in the team who released Anderson said: "Mother's Royal Knights really chose the worst weather to launch a surprise attack!"

Turning a corner, the wet and narrow street came to an end, and Anderson saw the low walls of Oak City that were not suitable for defense.Iron arrows and stones thrown from outside were all over the ground, and many parts of the city wall had been cracked by boulders.In the open space not far from the wall, refugees waiting to organize their escape and soldiers protecting them gathered.

Anderson walked to the front of them in a worn gray shirt, thin trousers, and calfskin ankle boots suitable for autumn, and stood there quietly.He thought for a moment, and draped the coat that the young soldier had lent him over his shoulders.

"It's so cold." He shivered, and said to himself, "I don't have the courage to die coldly."

The guard who released him was handing over to the soldiers, and only the young man with the brim of his hat lowered stood behind him.Anderson's voice was very low, but he heard every word.He smiled. "How does it feel to be rewarded today for what you have given the Liberal Party? My dear Ann."

Anderson turned his head and looked at the young man carefully for the first time.Not too tall, standing a little more loosely than usual soldiers.The brown wide-brimmed fedora hat looks familiar, and under the hat are the eyes that are like a fox's.The young man took his hand out of the sheepskin glove and held Anderson's blue fingers.He deliberately held it at the most frostbitten joint, using his own body heat to make him feel better.

"You are... Vincent William!"

Vincent William, the royal pharmacist that Mrs. Bacons met in the castle, seems to be helping Curtis to collect outstanding folk pharmacists.When he looks at people, his eyes are always narrowed into a line, like a fox looking at his next prey.At the beginning, Anderson tried his best to escape from his hands, but he didn't expect to bump into him again.

"Welcome to my land, Cornwall, my friend, Ann."

Anderson looked up at the cloudy sky intently, and there were small pieces of snow falling down intermittently.

Vincent also looked up at the sky with him, and raised the corner of his mouth under the brim of his hat: "Grey blue, very close to your eye color... very beautiful color."

Anderson pretended not to hear.

He remembered that when he was a child, the earl mentioned that most of the land in Cornwall was controlled by the William family when he met other nobles.The William family is famous for producing pharmacists from generation to generation. Almost every royal knight in history has a member of the William family join as a pharmacist.

Vincent William.

Royal Knights.

Heir to William's family.

Anderson was still managing the relationship, Vincent said: "The Marquis asked me to ensure your safety, but I heard very interesting rumors-you are the little illegitimate son of the Earl of Ayer Castle? The rumors about you in the upper class were not Everybody knows."

Anderson continued to pretend not to hear.

The immature voice of a child came from among the refugees, cutting through the oppressive fear like a lark's chirping.

"Mom, why is the blond brother standing at the front? Is he going to protect us?"

It was a child with brown curly hair, reaching only to Anderson's knees, wrapped into a ball by thick cotton clothes.

Anderson squatted down, waved to the child from a distance, and smiled gently with gray-blue eyes: "Don't be afraid, brother will protect you."

The guard came over and poked him in the back with a dagger, telling him to stand up and walk quickly.Vincent had disappeared into the crowd.The gates opened, and the Royal Knights and Seth were outside.

Anderson raised his eyes and smiled at the guard: "No need to rush. I will walk in front of everyone—if you really think the Marquis cares about me. Please engrave this line on my tombstone—"

"Anderson Lancaster—he died of a dear friend."

The guard was a tall and burly man, and he pushed Anderson impatiently, asking him to keep pace with the infantry next to him with shields and swords.

When the city gate opened, Anderson squinted his eyes due to the strong light.

He saw Seth.

At the end of the wheat field outside Oak City squatted a line of infantrymen with silver shields.Behind each infantryman stood two archers in leather armor.Behind them are rows of knights with the sword, their helmets are tightly buttoned, and only their eyes are exposed.

No matter in terms of equipment or training, the Royal Knights with state support are better than the Liberals.Anderson suddenly felt a little heartbroken when he thought of Ryan running back and forth for the Liberals for so long.

Compared with the country, the people will always be on the side of the weak.

He saw Seth.

At the front of the knight camp, in the most conspicuous position in the middle, Seth was riding a black thoroughbred Sother horse with his back straight.Unlike some knights who become clumsy after wearing armor, Seth's black armor is slender and close-fitting, making him look heroic.Probably for a better view, he was not wearing a helmet, and his short black hair was disheveled by the cold wind.Anderson noticed that his sword, the hilt was decorated with rare large sapphires, which could reflect the color of sunlight from a distance.When Seth lifted him, the field shone like a morning star, and the whole army could see where it was going.

On his left stood the silver-haired barbarian lieutenant Abel, and on his right stood another knight with ice-blue long hair.

This means that three of the thirteen knights of the Royal Knights participated in this battle.Anderson silently calculated that if Gavincent said it should be four.

The distance was very far, and Anderson couldn't see Seth's expression clearly.

But he was sure Seth saw himself.Abel pointed at Anderson with his whip, as if asking Seth for something.Seth was slow to reply.

Anderson was surprised that he didn't give the order to attack.

Under the protection of the Liberals, the refugee team began to walk towards the main road on the east side of the castle.

Across the vast expanse of space, Anderson knew Seth was watching him.

Then he turned sideways to give some instructions to his silver-haired adjutant, turned around and disappeared into the team on horseback.

The attack begins.