Chapter 416: The Idiot Who Can Enter the Museum
Winter day, early morning.

The clouds exude a dark color unique to winter, filtering the sunlight and giving the earth a cold tone.

The heavy snow gradually stopped.

The hills have turned white, and the leaves of the pines and cypresses are drooping.

In the silence, snow rabbits jumped out of the cave, squirrels swung on the branches, and birds flew over the snow.

The cold winter has its own ecology.

suddenly
The rumbling sound shook the hills, and amid the rustling sound of falling snow, the bent branches of the pine and cypress trees suddenly leaped up, and the snow on top of them dissipated like silver mist.

A group of black-armored cavalrymen galloped on the snow, cutting like a knife, and suddenly split into two and disappeared into the jungle along the mountain path.

Afterwards, several more riders came with a convoy and set up platforms and tents on the plain.

Today is the Griffith family’s hunting day.

The original purpose of hunting was to simulate cavalry combat and practice tactics, but it gradually became a purely recreational activity over time. It was Raven who restored it to its original purpose.

Thor is also a member of the hunt, but as an eagle-eye guard, he is responsible for vigilance and security.

When the semi-enclosed platform was set up, Thor saw a carriage slowly approaching and couldn’t help but puff out his chest.

He could see from the corner of his eye that not only him, but all the soldiers around him straightened their backs at this moment.

A man in a gray cloak stepped down from the car and climbed steadily onto the platform.

Thor’s heart ached.

This was the first time he had seen Raven so closely in this period of time. Although his posture was still upright, his old age and fatigue were difficult to conceal.

Raven sat down on the wooden chair on the platform. Patty, who was wearing winter clothes, brought him hot tea. Raven took two sips and his eyes fell on Thor: “Come up.”

Thor clenched his fist and unclenched it, then quickly walked up to Raven:
“My Lord Count!”

At this moment, Thor could clearly feel Raven’s gaze lingering on his face, and his heart couldn’t help but become more nervous.

“Looks like you’ve recovered well.” Raven’s voice was unremarkable: “No hidden injuries left, right?”

“Thank you for your concern, my lord. I don’t have any hidden injuries!” Thor replied respectfully.

“That’s good.” Raven’s voice softened. “I’ve heard about what happened between you and Hoyaz. It’s true that he was wrong.”

“As a soldier, beating innocent people without authorization is unforgivable under military law. I will make Hoyaz apologize to you in public, double your compensation for your losses, and sentence him to confinement in the military camp for three months.”

“Are you satisfied with this punishment?”

Thor originally thought there would be an interrogation, but he didn’t expect it to go so smoothly. How could he dare to make any additional requests? He quickly said:
“Of course! My Lord Earl is fair and just, I have no complaints!”

Seeing him like this, Raven shook his head and chuckled.

This is the case with many things. To Thor, a big event that may make the sky fall is just an insignificant detail in Raven’s eyes.

Moreover, Raven doesn’t mind his subordinates being ambitious, because only ambition can give people the motivation to do things.

After all, Thor knew how to strike a balance throughout the entire incident; this kid, Hoyaz, was indeed too hot-blooded and lost the calmness that a soldier should have. He was given a small punishment, and I hope he will remember this lesson in the future.

Seeing Thor standing there motionless, Raven asked, “Anything else?”

“It’s like this, sir.” Thor said hesitantly, “It’s cold in winter, I specially prepared a gift for you, sir. I hope you don’t mind it.”

Raven nodded: “Then bring it up.”

A look of joy appeared on Thor’s face. He quickly turned around and greeted them. Soon, he took a wooden box from his attendant and held it in front of Raven with both hands.

When Raven opened the lid of the box, a warm breath blew towards him.

It was a stone in the shape of a human ear with a rather rough surface. There was a naturally formed hole in the earlobe that emitted the light of burning coal.

This thing is called “Insect Flint”, and people call it “the ear of the sun elf”. It is actually a stomach stone of the second-level monster Fire-Feathered White Crow.

Although the grade is not high, it releases heat gently, making it very suitable for nobles to keep warm in winter.

And as the Fire-Feathered Crow becomes increasingly rare in the wild, this kind of creature is becoming increasingly difficult to find.

“You’ve put in a lot of effort.” Raven smiled and held the flint in his hand. “Tell me, what reward do you want?”

“I don’t dare to ask for rewards.” Thor smiled flatteringly, “It’s just that you didn’t take me with you last time you attacked Eivor. This time you are going to attack the Orc Empire, can you take me with you and let me lead a team alone?”

He watched Raven’s expression anxiously.

Without answering immediately, Raven waved to the hyenas and whispered a few words. Then Thor saw the hyenas brought a long table and spread a map on it.

Raven said, “This is a map of the Orc Empire. Although it is a bit old, the basic terrain, topography, and power distribution have not changed much. Since you want to lead the team alone, you should draw up the marching route.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Thor knew that this was his chance. He walked to the table and looked at the map. Suddenly, he felt inspiration rushing to his mind. He picked up the quill and parchment beside him and began to draw carefully.

Thor’s heart was burning with enthusiasm, but he didn’t feel cold at all. Instead, he became more and more excited as he wrote.

Two hours later, Thor completed his plan and read it again from the beginning. The more he read, the more he felt that he was a natural military leader. This plan was enough to be used as a military textbook that would be passed down through the ages!

“Sir, I’ve done it!” Thor handed the plan to Raven with confidence.

Raven took it and flipped through two pages, a hint of an inexplicable smile on his face: “Hmm… not bad.”

“When you get back, give him to your father and let him take a look.”

Thor’s heart was suddenly filled with eager anticipation. His manuscript would surely impress Eric!
“You have nothing to do here.” Raven said, “Take my warrant and release Hoyaz. Let him go to the barracks to receive his punishment.”

“Yes, sir!” Thor took the order from the hyena, saluted respectfully, and turned to leave.

Riding on the warhorse, a smile unconsciously appeared on Thor’s face.

Not only did he achieve his goal this time, but he also showed off his skills in front of Earl Raven. Not only will he continue to be the leader of the faction, but he will also have the opportunity to show his talents in future orc wars.

In a happy mood, the journey, which was not short, passed by in a flash.

But when he arrived at the Eagle Town Police Station and went to the prison with Raven’s warrant, Thor’s good mood was suddenly interrupted.

In the cell, Hoyaz sat hunched on the edge of the bed, his beard was messy and his eyes were bloodshot. It didn’t look like he had been locked up for just a dozen days. Instead, it seemed like he had been there for at least half a year.

Thor wants to deal with Hojas, but that doesn’t mean he wants to kill or cripple him!

He turned around and whispered to the guard: “Did you resort to any means?”

The prison guard next to him quickly shook his head to deny it.

He is just here to find a job and make a living. The struggles among the people above are not something they can get involved in. Even if Thor really wants them to take action, they will have to drag their feet, not to mention that Thor hasn’t given the order yet!

Knowing that these people would not dare to lie to him, Thor suppressed his doubts and said, “Ahem!”

The cough really made Hoyaz turn his head, his eyes empty, without any emotion.

“Hoyaz, with the Earl’s consent, you are released. This is a warrant issued by the Earl himself!”

As he spoke, Thor winked at the prison guard next to him, and the guard took out the key, opened the cell door, and removed the shackles from Hoyaz.

Only then did Hoyaz stand up and stagger out of the cell.

After receiving the warrant from Thor, Hoyaz’s lifeless eyes finally brightened up, and he suddenly bowed:

“I’m sorry, Mr. Thor, I shouldn’t have hit you for no reason before!”

After that, he straightened up and stared at Thor: “I’ll have someone bring the money later. Now, is there anything else?”

Of course something happened.

The warrant said a public apology, but there were only five people here, including the prisoners next to him, so it couldn’t be called a public apology. But looking at the look in Hojaz’s eyes, Thor couldn’t open his mouth to correct him.

After all, Thor’s goal has been achieved, so there is no need to offend anyone to death.

“Goodbye then.” Hoyaz turned around and pushed the door open to leave.

This time in prison was not easy.

At first, Hoyaz was full of hatred for Thor, and he swore that if he could get out, he would beat Thor up again.

Later, he slowly calmed down and fell into a mood of regret and self-blame.

It was not because he regretted beating Thor, but because he regretted that his methods were too rough. If he were given another chance, he would definitely be able to beat Thor speechless.

After that, he was anxious about the uncertain future. He was afraid that this incident would leave an impression of incompetence in his father’s mind.

Fortunately, the results came out and the above conditions were acceptable to Hoyaz.

In Hoyaz’s view, being confined in a military camp for three months is also a form of protection for himself.

“Just wait, Thor.” Hojaz whispered to himself, “Internal fighting is not a skill. Let’s see who’s the real deal on the battlefield!”

At the entrance of the police station, Thor looked at Hoyaz’s back and felt a little worried for a moment, but when he thought of Earl Raven’s previous praise, he couldn’t help but feel happy.

After working until the end of the shift at the police station, Thor rode his horse back to the family castle.

His mother Romi’s maid greeted him at the door: “Master, what are you so happy about?”

“Haha, a secret!” Thor said proudly, shaking his finger: “But soon you will see that old stubborn man will look at me with new eyes!”

After saying that, he pushed the door open and shouted, “Father! The Earl wants you to do something!”

The door was closed and the maid could no longer hear clearly.

But that night, she heard the master and the young master arguing in the study all night long.

At first, it was just a quarrel between the two of them, but later it became a one-sided argument from Master Eric.

“Bastard”, “idiot” and “idiot who can enter a museum” were mentioned one after another, making the maid unable to sleep well all night.

The next morning, when the maid brought breakfast, she found Master Thor sitting at the table with a dazed look on his face, as if he was deeply shocked; while Master Eric had a complicated expression, but it seemed that a lot of the anger that had been accumulated before was released.

As she walked past Thor, the maid heard him seem to be mumbling something.

“Could it be that… I’m really not a genius?”

……

Some people are ambitious, while others are content.

Like Petty.

She was wearing a blue cotton dress and came to an alchemy shop called “Fairy’s Ear” in Eagle Town.

The snow at the door had been swept clean, but Patty still stamped her feet to make sure there was no mud on her feet before pushing the door open and walking in.

The bell was swept by the door frame, making a tinkling sound, which attracted the attention of the boy who was watching the shop. His eyes fell on Patty and he couldn’t take them away, staring blankly.

Patty covered her mouth and smiled, but she didn’t feel offended, not only because she had watched the child grow up, but also because she knew that she dressed well enough.

As an alchemist, she seldom wears high heels for the sake of safety, but her natural posture itself is unique; what’s more, she also carefully matches jewelry and trims the fabric of her clothes, so even winter clothes can show her extraordinary curves.

Any man who sees this will inevitably be cautious.

It’s a pity that this trick doesn’t work on the Earl.

Putting aside the regret in his heart, Patty asked, “Where’s Mr. Bucky?”

“Oh, oh!” The young man came to his senses, turned around and shouted:
“Teacher! Miss Patty is here!”

Footsteps were heard and an old man walked up the basement stairs.

He had silver hair and a thin body. Although his back was slightly bent under his wide robe, he looked extremely strong and his steps were quite powerful.

If Petty hadn’t known that he was almost 80 years old, he would have thought he was just an old man in his early 60s.

“Go downstairs and help me watch the fire.” After sending the boy to the cellar, Bucky walked across the counter to Petty and began to sell her mercenary goods with a bit of commercialism:

“What ingredients are you buying today? I just got some frost incense from the north. Would you like some?”

“No need.” Petty shook her head and pulled out a roll of parchment from her sleeve: “I want you to help me check if there is any problem with this potion.”

Bucky took the parchment and spread it out on the counter, his back straightened. “Hmm… Marigolds, holy light grass…”

Although the profession of alchemist is highly tied to magic, its roots are inextricably linked to herbalists.

Although there are many classic potion recipes, such as healing potions, poison cloud potions, sleeping potions, etc., when it comes to specific diagnosis and treatment, if time permits, alchemists will also combine herbs and magic plants according to actual conditions to refine potions with specific effects.

So Bucky quickly determined that this was a modified medicine that provided nutrition to women in early pregnancy and reduced physical discomfort caused by pregnancy, commonly known as a pregnancy-stabilizing drug.

He glanced up at Patty: “Are you pregnant?”

A trace of disappointment flashed across Patty’s eyes, and she shook her head slightly.

She really wanted to have Count Raven’s child, but this time it was not her who was pregnant.

Bucky noticed her disappointment and stopped asking questions. “There’s basically no problem, but the dosage of two ingredients needs to be adjusted. I’ll write down my opinion and you can do whatever you want.”

The feather pen was brushing on the scroll, and Bucky was also taking the time to observe Petey’s condition.

Patty is also an alchemist, and Bucky has provided her with a lot of guidance over the years, so they can be said to be a de facto master-disciple relationship.

So he half-jokingly said, “Cheer up, the Earl is about to confer titles on a group of nobles, maybe you will become a knight!”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Petty shook her head. “I’ve never heard of a woman being a knight.”

“Why not? Isn’t Fiona a ready-made example?”

“That’s different.” Petty grabbed his wrist: “Besides, I’m not interested in the title…”

What really matters to Petty is being able to stay with Earl Raven.

“I really envy your non-confrontational nature.” Buggy sighed, “Nowadays, there are so many people who want the title but cannot get it. You are someone who can definitely get the title by just saying a few more words, but you don’t fight for it.”

“It’s just that I’m old and childless. Otherwise, I would have insisted on getting a knighthood even at the cost of my old face!”

As he said this, Bucky smacked his lips and shook his head with regret.

A territory of his own, a group of his own subjects, his own castle and servants. Only someone like Petty could resist such a life.

“Okay, it’s all done.” Bucky rolled up the parchment and handed it to Patty.

“Thank you.” Patty picked it up, turned around, pushed open the door and left the store.

Looking at the shaky door, Bucky finally pursed his lips and suppressed the thought of asking who was pregnant.

Instead of thinking about such a dangerous issue, it is better to focus on the issue of conferring titles.

This is also the issue that the Griffith family and even the entire Nord Province are paying attention to.

1203 passed and 1204 came.

On February 1204, 2, the enthronement ceremony was held on time.

……

(End of this chapter)