Volume 1: The Gate of Flesh and Blood Chapter 84 What do you think, Mr. Marple?

As the carriage rolled over the stone road, the bloody red under the wheels had faded, but the bloody red on the edges of the wheels became brighter. The soldiers guarding the castle gate looked at the slowly approaching black carriage vigilantly and timidly.

quack.

Every time the crows crowed, the soldiers' hearts skipped a beat.

There was no obstruction.

Especially when Rick showed the invitation letter from Grand Duke Graz, all the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lowered the drawbridge to allow the carriage to pass.

"Is this the guard from the core area of Hessetings ?"

"When I was a kid, I heard more than once that the guards guarding the core area could kill a tiger with just one slide tackle."

Andinan was a little bit unbelievable.

As a native of Hessetins, Andinan has heard rumors about the core area since he was a child.

Things like the wealth of the Royal Family of Ryan, the kindness of the King, the strict guards, etc. are all well known.

Especially the rumor that the guards there are the elite among the elite.

The young people believe it firmly.

But now?

Very disappointed.

"Perhaps the original Royal Family of Ryan had such guards, but as time passed, the first batch of guards who founded the country grew old. Among their descendants who inherited the noble titles, how many could live up to the honor of their ancestors?"

"Everyone loves to be idle and hates to work."

"You and I are the same."

Goethe was not surprised.

In his hometown, there are many cases where a father is as good as his son.

He was used to it.

"I may be, but you are different, Lord Marple. You are the most hardworking person I have ever met."

Andinan said, with admiration in his eyes.

Young people are not complimenting, they are telling the truth.

During the time he lived at 11 Kimmel Street, the young man knew Goethe's daily routine very well. Except for the necessary sleep time, he was doing something every moment.

Either reading, writing, or practicing shooting.

Fun time?

Not at all.

He had never seen Lord Marple engage in any recreational activities.

If it weren't for the previous rumors about the "Summer Club", Andinan would have thought that Lord Marple was an ascetic monk.

Could it be that...

Is Lord Marple seriously injured?

Subconsciously, the young man thought of something.

Goethe glanced at Andinand and immediately guessed that the young man had wrong ideas.

However, he did not explain.

This kind of thing becomes less clear the more you explain it.

Just like he would not tell Andinan that he was threatened with death in the 'Anchor World', if he did not quickly improve his strength in the 'Secret Realm' before him...

That's really a dead end.

Goethe glanced at the main quest.

【Wealth: 100/100】

【Reputation: 62/100】

…

After Andinan fulfilled his promise, the [Wealth] column was completed, while the [Fame] column, after pausing for a few days, began to skyrocket three days ago.

Even now, it goes up by 1 point every few hours.

However, it has become slow.

It is clear that the chain reaction triggered by Devonte's death is fading.

But the scene just now once again stimulated some people.

The reputation has increased by 2 points on the road from the castle area to the core area.

And when the carriage stopped, it rose another 2 points.

"Sir, we have arrived at the Grand Duke's residence."

Rick's voice came.

Even though he tried to remain calm, Goethe could still hear the tremor in it.

The previous scene not only made the soldiers feel terrified, but also their own driver.

The fact that Rick was still able to drive a carriage was enough to surprise Goethe.

However, looking at the pale face, Goethe knew that his driver was reaching his limit.

"Rick, you can take a day off."

Goethe said.

"No, sir."

"Please rest assured, I can hold on."

The driver shook his head.

Even though he couldn't wait to leave, his reason told him that if he didn't want to lose a big client like Mr. Marple, if he didn't want to lose his reputation as the best driver of 'Simerk Carriage Company', he had to persevere.

As long as it doesn’t mean death, you have to persevere!

Or rather...

Even if it means death, you must persevere!

Because he no longer lives for himself.

His parents, wife, and three children all need his salary to support them.

Faced with the driver's insistence, Goethe did not try to persuade him any further.

Everyone has their own last resort choice.

He turned around and looked at the steward of the Grand Duke's Mansion who was walking quickly towards him.

Gray hair, tuxedo, white gloves, black leather shoes.

Even when walking briskly, the distance of each step is the same, and there is a smile on the face.

"Good afternoon, Lord Marple."

"Good afternoon, Master Andinan."

The old butler greeted politely.

"good afternoon."

Andinan responded, then looked towards the Grand Duke's mansion curiously.

It is called a mansion, but in fact it is just a converted corner of the castle.

It is far from being as grand, gorgeous and comfortable as imagined.

Instead, it's lifeless.

Still a bit cold and damp.

The young man was a little disappointed.

But what was even more disappointing was the old butler's subsequent words.

"Master Andinan, please wait a moment. His Highness is only meeting with Lord Marple now. I hope you won't blame His Highness - he doesn't have much time every day."

The young man's eyes dimmed.

But he immediately laughed.

"certainly."

Andinan expressed his understanding.

Grand Duke of Gratz, whose full name is Gratz Lane, is the younger brother of the current King Lane IX. However, unlike his elder brother who had been frail and sickly since childhood, Grand Duke Gratz was famous for his bravery when he was young.

There were also cases of people killing wolves with daggers.

Although he was a wounded lone wolf, he was still worthy of admiration.

As he grew older, the Grand Duke of Graz's wisdom began to show.

The increasingly frail Ryan IX felt free to delegate power.

Everyone knew that after the death of Lion IX without an heir, the Grand Duke of Graz would succeed him as king and become Lion X.

Even at this moment, before he truly became King Leon X, Grand Duke Graz was still fulfilling some of the king's obligations.

So, when Goethe met the Grand Duke, the Grand Duke was still working.

In the castle room that needed candlelight during the day, the Grand Duke of Graz was reviewing documents with his glasses on. When he saw his butler bringing Goethe in, he immediately gestured apologetically, asking them to wait a moment.

About five minutes later, the Grand Duke stood up from behind his desk.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marple, to have kept you waiting."

The Grand Duke of Graz came over and held out his hand to Goethe.

Goethe raised his hand and shook hands with the other person, and felt the calluses on the other person's palm.

That was the result of long-term practice of swordsmanship and spearmanship. Coupled with the fact that the other party had a burly build, there was no doubt that the rumors from the early years still had some credibility.

The Grand Duke had strong facial lines and deep features, but his graying hair was casually combed behind his head, which immediately added a sense of unruliness to his majesty.

When people see it, they will feel good about it.

What makes people feel more favorable is the other party's straightforward behavior.

"Mr. Marple, Big Gratz and Little Gratz are causing you trouble."

“They always leave me helpless.”

"This is my apology, please accept it."

As he said this, the Archduke turned around, took out a square box from the drawer of his desk and handed it to Goethe.

"'Dragon Breath'!"

"One of the legacies of 'The Robert Family'."

"It was obtained by the Ryan royal family accidentally. I think it should be returned to its original owner."

The Archduke said with a smile.

Goethe looked at the Grand Duke of Graz in surprise.

"Don't worry, I really mean no harm."

“There aren’t any traps here.”

"I just hope that Hessetings is safe now, but I won't provoke a being like you for no reason."

As the Grand Duke spoke, he opened the box and revealed the notes inside.

He even took the initiative to look through Goethe's notes to reassure him.

And when Goethe took the notes——

[The secret technique 'Burning Hands' has been discovered, judging...]

[Possessing the 'heart' attribute, passed the judgment! ]

【Mastering the ‘picture complex language’, passed the test! 】

[If you pass the judgment, you can use 'Bloody Honor' to learn! ]

…

"【Burning Hands】?"

Goethe looked at the message and frowned secretly.

It was not that the Grand Duke of Graz was bluffing, but he discovered that it seemed to be a problem of address.

It had appeared in the previous [Desperate Gaze]. The extraordinary person in the "secret realm" before him called [Desperate Gaze] "Dragon Power", but the text he could see showed [Desperate Gaze].

The same is true for the current [Burning Hands].

Looking at the words appearing before his eyes, Goethe felt an urge from the bottom of his heart - he really wanted to click to learn, and then show the Grand Duke of Graz that he had already learned the so-called "Dragon's Breath Technique" and whether he could exchange it for a gift.

But in the end, Goethe did not do so.

He couldn't go against his bottom line.

There are some things that can be done.

There are some things that you should never do.

This is what the good old man told him when he was in his hometown.

Although Goethe showed disdain at the time, he persisted in the days that followed.

As for why?

Goethe didn't know either.

Maybe……

Does that make him look like a 'human'?

And that impulsive thought?

Nature is inevitable.

He is just a man with a bottom line, not a saint.

He didn't know where it came from, so he thought it was from Master Lu who once said: "Judging by deeds, not by heart; judging by heart, no one is perfect."

All he needs is a human being.

saint ?

Impossible.

The Grand Duke of Graz was relieved to see that Goethe accepted the gift he was owed.

As he said, he now just hopes that Hessetings will be safe.

It would be too terrifying if the heir of the Robert Family, who possesses the Dragon's might, were to start wreaking havoc in the city.

He didn't want to have such a troublesome existence when dealing with those people.

Moreover, he hopes to pull the other party to his side!

The Grand Duke of Graz, who always maintained a very upright character, immediately asked, "Do it as soon as you think of it."

"Mr. Marple, what do you think of what happened in Hasedings?"

How do I see it?

I'm standing and watching!