EBE Chapter 8 The Abnormality of the Deserter
Chapter 8 The Abnormality of the Deserter
They wore cotton armor, with a striking double-headed eagle emblem symbolizing the Southern Empire on their chests and backs.
They each wore an iron sword at their waist, and their hands were resting on the hilt.
The two men were clearly taken aback by Luo Xu's Eastern appearance, and they stared at him intently.
Luo Xu glanced at them briefly before looking away; he was already certain that the two were deserters.
They were overly sensitive to the presence of strangers, acting as if they had a guilty conscience.
A question popped into Luo Xu's mind: How did these two deserters manage to enter Lantas village right under the noses of the bandits?
You should know that Lantas Village is under siege by those bandits. If he were the bandit leader, he would definitely intercept and kill these two in order to prevent the news from leaking out.
Luo Xu decided to observe first and then act accordingly. He tried to keep his expression calm and stepped towards the front of the stage.
Sarah was writing something with her head down. When Luo Xu approached, he saw that she was holding an iron pen and making accounts on a wax tablet. Her movements were quick and efficient.
At this moment, Sarah looked up and, upon seeing it was Rosé, smiled and stood up, bringing over a tray.
Dinner was just as plentiful and delicious as lunch, but this time Luo Xu didn't focus on enjoying the food.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye, observing the two deserters' every move.
They weren't burying their heads in their food and wolfing it down; instead, they would occasionally look up and glance around. Luo Xu noticed that their gazes would always sweep over Sarah at the front desk.
Luo Xu frowned and glanced at the hotel staff without making a sound.
Apart from Sarah at the front desk, there were only two cooks left in the entire hotel.
Sarah's brother also works at the hotel, but he should be in the open space preparing to vote right now.
That open space is more than 20 meters away from here. If those two deserters had any evil intentions, the villagers might not have noticed in time.
There were a few militiamen eating dinner on the first floor, but they didn't have much food left.
Luo Xu slowed down his eating pace and began to chew slowly and carefully.
Just then, Jeffrey walked in. Like Luo Xu, he ate while eyeing the two deserters.
Looking at Jeffrey's broad back, Luo Xu felt much more at ease.
As the daylight outside gradually dimmed, the other militiamen left one after another, and even Jeffrey left the hotel. Soon, only Luo Xu remained on the first floor as a militiaman.
The long table in front of the two deserters was now empty, with only bare trays remaining. They frequently glanced back at Luo Xu, who was still eating, and one of them clearly showed impatience.
Luo Xu increasingly felt that the two deserters were hiding something, and he couldn't help but place his left hand on the kite-shaped shield.
The two deserters suddenly stood up and walked to the front desk.
Luo Xu's breathing became somewhat rapid. He put down the spoon in his hand and reached for the spear.
The two men didn't do anything outrageous; they simply asked Sarah how much dinars it would cost to stay on the second floor for one night.
The two paid the money and went up to the second floor.
Seeing the two deserters disappear down the stairs, Luo Xu quickly got up and went to the front desk.
Under Sarah's questioning gaze, he leaned closer and whispered, "Those two soldiers aren't good people. You need to be careful."
After saying that, he took out a bone whistle and handed it over: "Blow it if you encounter danger."
Sarah's lips curled up slightly, not with her usual professional fake smile, but with a genuine smile from the heart.
"Thank you for the gift, Rosius." She quickly accepted the bone whistle, a sly glint in her eyes. "You're a good person, but I don't feel anything for you."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried just enough to the second floor.
Luo Xu was taken aback, his face full of astonishment. After a moment of stunned silence, he finally realized Sarah's intention.
I realized that my deliberate slowing down of eating had probably aroused the suspicion of the two deserters.
Sarah's words could mislead them into thinking that she was just a suitor trying to confess her feelings when no one else was around.
What a smart girl.
Looking at Sarah, Luo Xu couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards her.
Her eyes were a deep green that Luo Xu had never seen before, bright and clear.
Sarah was also looking at Rosu, and through his dark eyes she sensed a pure kindness.
The two stared at each other for a while before looking away simultaneously.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you." Luo Xu quickly turned around, and in his haste, his shield bumped against the long table behind him.
Seeing his expression, Sarah burst out laughing.
She gazed at Luo Xu's profile, a blush rising on her face.
This stranger is actually quite handsome...
After leaving the hotel, Luo Xu took a deep breath.
That was so embarrassing.
"Rossiy".
Luo Xu looked in the direction of the voice and found that the speaker was Jeffrey.
He was standing not far from the hotel entrance, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, a wicked grin on his face:
"I don't think anyone where you live has green eyes, right?"
It was obvious that he had seen everything that had just happened.
Luo Xu felt his face burning and quickly changed the subject, recounting the unusual behavior of the two soldiers in the hotel.
Jeffrey patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll be here watching."
"Senior Jeffrey, I'll be going now." Luo Xu left as if fleeing.
A number of villagers had gathered in the open space in the center of the village, and Jialong was maintaining order at the scene.
Luo Xu looked around but didn't find Alina, so he started walking towards his thatched hut.
As he passed by Alina's house, he paused and peeked inside.
Alina's family was still eating dinner, with dark bread and chestnut soup on the table.
Looking at Alina's gaunt face, Luo Xu felt a pang of sadness.
He went into his thatched hut and used the coarse cloth bag that Alina had given him that afternoon to pack all the remaining chestnuts in the house.
After doing all this, Luo Xu arrived at Alina's doorstep.
"Knock, knock, knock." Although the front door was open, Luo Xu still knocked on the door. "Sister Alina."
After a sound of a bowl colliding with the table, Alina appeared before Luo Xu.
"Have you eaten?" Before Luo Xu could speak, Alina pulled him into the house.
"I've already eaten at the inn." Luo Xu stuffed the coarse cloth bag in his hand into Alina's hands. "Sister Alina, I'll be eating at the inn for the next few days. Please accept these chestnuts, or they'll go bad."
After Luo finished speaking, he stuffed the black bread and chestnuts that Alina had given him into Marcus and Leah's hands.
Alina opened her mouth but didn't utter a word. She turned around and placed the coarse cloth bundle next to the shrunken grain sack.
Luo Xu's gaze fell on the emptied grain sack, and he asked, "Sister Alina, how will you vote later?"
"I haven't decided yet," Alina replied, shaking her head.
Uncle Tom, standing to the side, looked up and said firmly, "We will not pay protection money."
Luo Xu nodded in agreement.
Alina's family already lacks manpower, and if they pay this protection fee, next year will be especially difficult.
Alina didn't nod. She glanced at Luo Xu, then lowered her head to gnaw on her black bread.
After Alina finished eating, Luo Xu went with her to the open space in the center of the village.
Uncle Tom didn't go with them; he wanted to stay home and look after Marcus and Leah.
Alina and Luo Xu walked on the muddy road in silence.
Alina walked very slowly, as if she was delaying something.
As they approached the open space, Luo Xu suddenly heard a heated argument.