Law of the Devil
Chapter 12 [Psychic Incidents in the Home of the Rollins!
Chapter 13 [Psychic Incidents in the Home of the Rollins!
(Long section)
The Rollin family's ancestral home is located southwest of the Rollin Plains, where a tributary of the Rollin River passes, with fertile land on the banks of the river, divided into several farms and surrounded by towns. Follow this tributary down through a scenic valley.
This is where the great Rollins first originated. Hundreds of years ago, when the Rollins' ancestors were just a low-ranking nobleman with a small village territory, the Rollins' bloodline began to circulate in the land.
The carriage passes through a dark forest with lush green trees on both sides and fresh air. Along a flat trail, you can see the little valley on the left in the carriage, and to the right, you can see a tall tower in the distance, which is the home of the Rollins.
After centuries of family glory, hundreds of years ago small villages ceased to exist, and the original ancestral homes have been renovated and rebuilt on a considerable scale after hundreds of years of history!
A red stone wall surrounds a castle made of white boulders mined from the valley next to it - said to have been a hill, but it took hundreds of years of stone mining to turn it into a valley.
The arrival of the eldest son of the family chief naturally attracted special attention. The 300 Territorial Private Army who stayed in the castle, wearing the brightest equipment early on, waited in line under the red wall outside the castle, the arch-shaped door made Dewey feel very emotional sitting in the carriage, and in his eyes, this thick stone wall, if necessary, could be used as a solid defensive circle!
The Empire's Wuhun family, the 300 territorial private soldiers who stayed in the castle were clearly well trained, with a straight body on horseback, fairly skilled horse control and good equipment. Later on, Dewey learned that the 300 remaining soldiers in the castle of the Rollins' ancestral home were among the best of the private forces from all over the Rollins Plains, and that they trained fairly well, even as well as the Empire's local army.
And that black forest outside the castle, which is also a natural hunting ground, hosts some hunting activities every year, which is also a disguised exercise for these soldiers.
The main building of the castle consists of two towers, one of which is particularly tall and even slightly taller than the hill in the distance. Dewey, who had studied family history, knew that because the Rollins had had a strange homeowner in a previous generation. Although the head of the household was a warlord, he was particularly interested in astrology and even married a woman astrologer as his wife. The tower was built to make it easier for his wife to better observe the stars at night.
The red carpet has been laid from the main entrance of the castle to where Dewey's carriage stopped. Dewey just bent over and got out of the car, and a silver-haired old man came up next to him waiting for a long time. The old man was tall, meticulously grey, and behaved in an old-fashioned and serious manner, as well as being conservative and respectful.
Dewey just got off the carriage, his feet just stepped on the ground, and the old man had bent down, deeply saluted, and then with a low, slow voice: "Young Master, I'm Hill, the housekeeper here;; # 8226; Rollin. I heard about your impending arrival three days ago. Now everyone in the castle is ready for your parallax. Please come with me. ”
After that, the old butler turned carefully and led Dewey up the steps. There was nothing impeccable about etiquette, and he behaved respectfully and courteously, modestly and without charm, leading Dewey to the red carpet on the steps, while he himself carefully walked outside the carpet, leaving Dewey to enjoy this pride alone.
The only thing that struck me when I couldn't get a closer look at the interior of the castle was that after walking into the castle gate, there was a huge flag on the wall like a flame!
The flag is 7 or 8 meters tall and 6 meters wide, occupying the entire wall facing each other! This is the family's emblem flag, with two swords crossed, wrapped with irises on the blade, a red flame burning, and a crown on top!
Walk into the lobby on the first floor of the castle and face it with such a magnificent flag as a rainbow and immediately give it a solemn and sombre atmosphere!
All the servants in the castle then stood on both sides of the hall in neat uniforms, welcoming Dewey. Dewey wasn't too interested in this weird “censorship," he nodded casually and whispered: "Mr. Butler, please take me to the study now… As for everyone, please disperse and go back to your work. ”
Old butler Hill meticulously executed Dewey's orders, and soon Dewey was taken to a study...
Well, if possible, Dewey would prefer to call this place a “library”!
Because this place is too big!
In a circular room, the top of the head is also a tall, circular vault, dotted with some rustic plaster patterns, with some plaster statues standing beside it - many of them prominent figures that have emerged in the family's history.
This room is surrounded by tall bookshelves... damn it! These bookshelves are two stories tall! It's filled with all sorts of dense and numb books, and Dewey roughly calculated that there are at least tens of thousands of books hidden here! And there are a lot of iron cabinets that store important things, like family maps, ancient and important documents, and so on.
Of course, as a Wuhun family, even in the study, there is a touch of martial arts! Just across the wall from the door to the study, hanging a giant, double-handed sword and a giant chopping axe! These two weapons are crossed on the wall! From the cold light flashing on the blade, it is clear that there are often servants who scrub and care for them with care.
There is also a wall shelf with deliberate vines coming out of several huge cabinets with all kinds of weapons, but in style, these are antiques.
There is an imperial military-style short bow a hundred years ago, an old knight chopping sword, a long horse knife, a black iron wooden bow...
Dewey was attracted to the past by these weapons, and he could see that these antiques were also of fairly well-maintained colors, several of which, though baptized over the years, still shed a sharp chill!
“These have been used by distinguished ancestors of successive families.” Hill, the old butler behind us, said in an unchanged voice: “These are the honors of our great ancestors, the Rollins. ”
Due to the shape of the room space, speaking here, the sound waves oscillate, making buzzing vibrations and echoes, adding a bit of agitation.
Gently * * * took a look at the vintage desk in black pear wood, and Dewey looked around quietly.
As you can see, everything here is strictly conserved and carefully cleaned, but the signs of old age are also evident. Many parts of the bookshelf were polished smoothly and brightly, as well as this huge desk of his own, which Dewey suspected was probably older than the old butler in front of him.
“This used to be the centre of power for the Rollins and the place where the family elders thought and made all kinds of decisions. Everything here keeps those once glorious traces.” The old housekeeper whispered: “Although the family's decision-making center later moved to Didu, according to the family tradition, every elder returning to the castle with parallax or a brief stay must not go back to his bedroom to rest on the first night of arrival and must spend the night in this study. In doing so, I urge myself not to forget the glorious history of the family and the burdens on me. ”
After a pause, the old butler glanced at Dewey and lowered his head: “You are the eldest son of the current matriarch, you came to the castle to inspect in his capacity, please ask you tonight...”
Dewey nodded immediately and smiled, “Tradition is tradition and must be obeyed. Naturally, I'm no exception. I am not a sheik, but I am the eldest son of my father and I have come here as his representative. I'm staying in the study tonight as traditionally. ”
The old butler's face was much softer, and his tone was a little warmer, “Yes, I'll get ready. Also... I understand that you are here to inspect the Territory's property on behalf of the Count, where will your work begin? Having heard from you back, I have had my accounts and books prepared for this year's family estate. When are you going to start looking at these things? Still waiting..."
Dewey smiled and interrupted him. He naturally bypassed the table, sat behind this large desk, the couch was a bit stiff, but it was still comfortable, and Dewey thought about it and said, “Mr. Butler, I've come a long way, and now I feel a little hungry. I'd like you to prepare some food for me first, and then I think I can start looking at what you've prepared. ”
Looks like things are still working well here.
Soon, Dewey enjoyed a very typical Southern aristocratic afternoon tea in the study, and after eating a sweet pumpkin pie, he just wiped his mouth, and old butler Hill had commanded two robust servants to come into the study.
Two servants pushed a cart loaded with a thick pile of brochures like hills! I'm afraid these booklets are half a head taller than Dewey's!
“These are all revenue and expenditure for this year?” Dewey frowned, and he began to wonder if the old butler was trying to wipe himself out.
“Young master, all of this.” Old Hill replied very seriously: "The information here covers the entire southern province of Cote d 'Ivoire, the land area of the family territory, the area of cultivated land, as well as the expenditure of fiscal revenues in six of these towns, the expenditure of logistical supplies of the family private forces scattered throughout the three parts of the territory, salaries, supplies, the consumption of weapons, etc., in addition to the harvest of food, and the budget for some of the new buildings built this year. Besides, I made some budgets for next year, but I haven't finished them because of the rush of time, but I don't think you'll be out of here very soon, so we still have plenty of time. ”
Dewey couldn't help touching his nose and looking at the same account as the hill in front of him: "... is it all here? ”
“Here's just part of it. As for the rest…” The old butler rarely said a slightly less serious sentence: “The rest, I think you may need to look at it for the last week. ”
Dewey frowned and looked quietly at the butler in front of him.
This old butler doesn't look like he's joking. But... he doesn't take it for granted that his 13-year-old can read these accounts, does he? Even less naive to think that a 13-year-old can really afford the entire family estate!
Well, he should know that being sent home by the owner should be a disguised assignment. In that case, this guy made such a bunch of accounts, and seriously asked himself to check... what was his intent?
Was it the old housekeeper who was dissatisfied with the young master who was sent back, worried that he would disperse his original powers when he returned, so he demonstrates to himself first?
A slave bully?
Or, what is he doing in the family industry, making a personal profit from it, and now using himself as a child to get past customs?
Everything seems possible!
But Dewey didn't say anything, he didn't even ask a question, picked up the top account, blew the dust on it, sat down and turned the first page, quietly looked.
After a while, Dewey looked up and the old butler stood aside.
“Oh, Mr. Butler, is there anything else you want to tell me?” Dewey seemed careless and chilled: “When I read, I didn't like the people around me. ”
“Yes, sir.” Old butler Hill's eyes revealed a surprising light, and then he seemed to open his mouth to say something, but the words went back to his mouth and swallowed, turning around to take the servants out.
After the thick study door was closed, Dewey gently dropped the account in his hand, and he stood up and walked a few steps back and forth in this huge study, moving his body and smiling to himself: “I'm afraid there's really something to look forward to. ”
Later, until nightfall, the old housekeeper came to the study twice, once to pour tea for Dewey and once to bring Dewey himself to light the candle after dark weather.
To the surprise of old butler Hill, this young master is actually going through those accounts!
And he's not pretending, he's really reading! Several books were placed on the desk, all flipped open, and Dewey seemed to be arranging some numbers. Just after the old housekeeper brought someone to light all the twenty big candlesticks in the study, Dewey asked the old housekeeper a few questions about the accounts.
He didn't ask random questions. He asked all the questions! This is enough to prove that the young master seems to be serious! He really read those boring accounts!
This... this is what the message came back to say, that the emperor is considered an “idiot” within the family?
Dewey caught the old butler's surprise expression, though he had tried to cover it up. Dewey still said nothing, but when the old butler walked out the door again, he slowly closed the book to the last page.
Actually... these accounts are really interesting!
Dewey spent an evening not really looking at the boring numbers, much less trying to see if the accounts were being falsified. After all, I am not a genius. The accounts are true and false. It is impossible to see anything for one who has no knowledge of the industry.
I'm afraid no one will know that Dewey is reading in a different way that no one else can guess!
Who says books must only be booked?
At least Dewey learned a lot from these things! And these are things that were never recorded in the history books or in the files documenting family history!
From the names and contents of the various projects in these accounts, Dewey immediately gained a full understanding of the extent to which the Rollins had control of the Territory.
In the Territory, the Rollins are almost self-contained and even have considerable autonomy. Fiscal tax authority here belongs to the family, and even the appointment of magistrates is largely up to the family. The levied tax rate, though carried out in accordance with the laws of the Empire. But families can modify, relieve, or increase with some special name.
All you have to do is submit a percentage of the taxes collected annually to the central treasury of the Empire.
There's military power. Essentially, it appears from the breakdown of some of these accounts for military purposes. The official Imperial garrison here is minimal, except for the symbolic stationing of two small local second-line infantry regiments on the outskirts of the Territory. It is also noteworthy that both reserve infantry regiments are supplied and heavily supplied by the Rollins every year! The Imperial Army doesn't care!
Much of the Territory, where local law and order are maintained, is the private army of the family in the Territory.
Nearly through these accounts, Dewey easily gained a complete picture of the current state of affairs of the entire Rollin family in several areas, including economics, politics, and the military!
Perhaps if the old butler knew he was so "looking” at the books, he would stare out his eyes!
From these accounts, Dewey has confirmed at least two things: First, the family has complete control over the place in terms of the right to tax! And militarily, even more so!
Dewey, from the other world, had an important common sense in the knowledge he had learned about that world: the expression of a country's territorial sovereignty, two important things: taxation! And garrisons!
And now, both points, are almost under the control of the Rollins! What does that mean?
It means that the central regime of the Empire has almost lost control of the Rollins: half of the territory of the province of Cote d 'Ivoire, where the central regime of the Empire has lost sovereign control! This is almost an independent little kingdom.
Dewey leaned on the sofa and thought, and this state of affairs surprised him a little! Because when a country's central regime gradually loses its authority, it is often a sign that the prelude to unrest is about to be lifted.
Dewey sat down for a while and the room was quiet, with only occasional beeps coming from the sparks of the candles.
At this moment, Dewey suddenly stood up and turned around and looked at the wall behind her!
The walls are huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with dense and numb books that seem no different.
But Dewey had a hidden birth... well, that moment seemed right!
Because the spirit is much stronger than ordinary people, Dewey is also more sensitive to some of the movements around her than normal people. Just now, he suddenly had a feeling in his heart that he was being spyed on!
As if right behind you, a glimpse is coming from an unknown secret corner, staring quietly at yourself!
There was no abnormality on the bookshelf, and Dewey's eyes looked up again.
On top of the bookshelf, a row of portraits hang on the wall.
These painting-style portraits are lined up from far to near ages. These are portraits of the Rollins' successive homeowners!
And in the first position on the left, the oldest looking, oldest and most distant, and the characters inevitably painted some distortion on the canvas, was a middle-aged man in an imperial uniform. The man on the canvas was the Imperial Marshal! He also won the war and earned an ancestor of the Rollin family from the Emperor!
This man looks very spiritual and has a cold, tough look between his eyebrows that resembles Count Raymond, Dewey's father! And that look, it's like it's staring at Dewey!
As Dewey moved in his heart, he tried to take a few steps back, then took two steps left and right, while his eyes also stared at the painting. Then he laughed, sighed softly, and whispered, “Well, maybe I'm too sensitive... it's just an oil painting. ”
He turned around and picked up another account at random...
Right behind him, the portrait of the marshal on the wall, his eyes suddenly blinked!
That's right, the person in the painting suddenly lived a glimpse, he stared at Dewey's back and suddenly blinked!
This bundle should have been the eyes of a stiff figure in the painting, suddenly as if it had been infused with life's inspiration! That gaze fell on Dewey, his eyes seemed a little curious...
And at this moment, holding the account as if reading Dewey suddenly turned around without a sign and stared at the painting on the wall!
One person, one painting, the eyes of both parties suddenly collided together!!
“No more disguise. I know you're looking at me.” Dewey slowly lifted his hand and pinched a silver spoon in his hand, which he used to eat pumpkin pie here. Silver spoons of snow, like mirrors!
“You were looking at me, and I was looking at you with this thing.” Dewey smiles, he stares at the mural on the wall: "You don't have to pretend anymore... but don't you know that snooping around behind people's backs is a very rude move? ”
“ ………… ”