A strange world

"We are in the same city, but so far away that we seem to be separated by life and death - "Crimson Night""

After getting off the carriage, the Winchet family estate in front of him made Annan think of this sentence for no reason.

The vast garden seems to be connected with the stretching sea of ​​trees at the foot of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. A red-brick manor is hidden at the end of the brick road, like an ancient castle in the forest.

The old butler stood outside the gate to greet the carriage: "Your Excellency from the Mage Tower, why are you visiting?"

Annan tried to act like he knew the wine lady: "I'm looking for Margaery, is she there?"

"Do you have an appointment with Madam?"

"...No, but we are...friends." Annan felt slightly guilty.

"May I ask your name?"

"Annan."

"please wait."

The old housekeeper returned to the manor, went to the second floor, and knocked on the study door.

"Madam, there is a carriage from the Mage Tower parked outside the door. A young magician who calls himself Annan wants to see you, and there is also a dwarf."

"Annan?" There was a confused whisper, and then a voice came from behind the door: "Let him come in. Well...bring him here, just him."

The old housekeeper returned to the door and conveyed the message respectfully: "Mr. Master, the lady is waiting for you in the study."

Annan and Soruman Bronzebeard walked into the manor, where the regular manor flower beds or topiary shrubs were replaced with tall and cold-resistant birches, pine and oak trees, creating a garden landscape.

Uncle Hollin must love it here, he doesn't even have to leave the house to chop wood.

"Druids won't hate this place too much." The female dwarf had the same idea as Annan.

Standing in the hall of the mansion, Annan looked up at a giant oil painting facing the door. That portrait of a noble and beautiful lady somewhat resembles Margaery.

"Is that the ancestor of the Wine Lady?" Soruman Bronzebeard asked, needing to raise his head from a more angle.

"That's the lady herself. The portraits on either side of the stairs are of the lady's ancestors."

Normal-sized portraits hang on the stairs on both sides.

"Why are the ancestors on the edge and the wine lady in the middle?" Annan continued to ask straightforwardly.

The old housekeeper, who had always remained calm, now showed a hint of pride: "Because the lady's ancestors were just farmers, businessmen, and mercenaries. It is the lady who gave the Winchet family its honor."

"That's it." Soruman Bronzebeard shook her beard in agreement. "Every town in Plan's Grace County can buy the Wine Lady's wine, and every tavern has the Wine Lady's investment."

The old housekeeper raised his head reservedly and proudly.

Stopping in the hall where the smooth tiles reflected the outline, the old butler said to Soruman Bronzebeard: "Please wait here for a moment. Madam only wants to see Mr. Annan."

"Leave it to you." The female dwarf with a dirty beard and old leather armor was out of place here. "Can I sit here?"

"Uh...you're the lady's wine merchant, of course."

The old housekeeper even asked the servant to prepare black tea - this was a rare courtesy for Bronzebeard. Annan followed the old housekeeper along the spiral steps on both sides of the hall to the second floor.

After passing the young maids lying on the window sill or kneeling in front of the wall cleaning decorations, the old housekeeper stopped in front of a log door.

Knock knock knock——

After knocking on the door and opening it, the old housekeeper stepped aside and said, "The lady is inside."

With an inexplicable sense of nervousness, Annan walked into the study. The door behind him closed softly.

In the low-luxury study room with a red carpet, Margery was lazily leaning on the seat. Her home attire without much makeup left her with only a mature charm.

"Lindy said that your letter of coming to Breeze City was only delivered in the morning..." Those somewhat narrow eyes fell on Annan, with a smile: "Are you so eager to see me?"

Annan struggled to break away from the atmosphere of ambiguity and ambiguity, and spoke out the prepared draft just like he did with Lan Long: "There is a spinning mill where I live. Those spinning wheels are very slow. I have a way to improve them. They are better than the old spinning wheels." It’s more than eight times faster and more than four times faster than the best spinning machine in Breeze City.”

Margery sat up a little straighter: "Where is your improved spinning wheel?"

"...still in production." Annan lied.

Margaery became less interested, and Annan wondered whether he had said something wrong, or when the bard said that there were better spinning wheels in the prosperous south, Margaery knocked on the table gently.

"Come back when you get your stuff, sweetheart."

The door behind him opened again, and the old housekeeper was waiting outside.

"I'll bring the spinning wheel over in a few days." After the chat ended, Annan said goodbye to the wine lady and followed the old housekeeper back to the downstairs hall.

"How about it?"

"Good progress, she called me sweetheart!"

"What?"

Annan, who realized she had said something wrong, blushed slightly and said, "I mean...she said she would discuss cooperation as long as she brings the spinning machine."

As a veteran, Soruman Bronzebeard did not laugh at the boy's immaturity at all, and walked out with Annan: "Spinning machine? Is this the idea you had in mind?"

"I think the spinning wheels in the factory could use some improvements."

The road leaving the manor was like walking on a forest path, reminding Annan of the town of Flatwoods - is this one of the reasons why the wine lady likes to go to the town?

"Ladies like roses."

Annan, who left the manor and was about to get into the carriage, looked at the old butler who suddenly reminded him in confusion.

"A lady never lets a man into her study."

Annan nodded slightly absentmindedly and got into the carriage.

The Mage Tower carriage drove slowly, crossed with a luxurious carriage, and then left the block.

The luxurious carriage stopped in front of the manor, and a handsome young man walked into the manor and came out soon after with the old housekeeper.

"Lady likes roses." The old housekeeper suddenly said to the young man.

"What?"

"A lady never lets a man into her study."

…

Annan was much excited when he came back.

The problem of sales channels has been solved, and now we only need to make the finished product.

But something happened on Michael's side.

"It's going well there?" Michael saw Annan's joy and guessed that it was going well, "I have bad news..."

"What's wrong?"

"Flora didn't bring the goblin back. She said the goblin was abusive to her and refused to cooperate with the humans."

"This doesn't make sense..."

Annan recalled his contact with the smart goblin. It definitely didn't look like a... spirit that could say such things.

"What is the character of that 'Flora'?" Or Bronzebeard noticed something.

"Smart, proud, and will definitely become a mage in the future...Okay, I know what the problem is. I'm sorry I didn't pay attention to this."

"It's okay, I'd better go." Annan said.

"Let's start again tomorrow. In the morning, the scavenger discovered a rat infestation in the west of the city, and the city gate was temporarily under martial law." Michael replied.

After sitting in the tavern and listening to the chats of the guests, Annan returned to the attic in the evening.

After reading for a while, I lay on the bed. Annan saw a web woven in the narrow corner of the attic. The little spider was lying on the web, waiting for its prey to land on it.

Annan, whose mind had regained peace, fell into a deep sleep.

Then, I had another bizarre dream.