In the end, Alexander gave the clerk a bribe as he was told.

Just looking at the black pearl in his hand, the clerk's face was full of suspicion.

"It's precious," explained Ulliu, beside him, "and you must keep it after you show it to the Lord, and if you can get it back, my lord will surely give you a reward more than this pearl." ”

The clerk looked at the pearl suspiciously, and then nodded reluctantly, for it was nothing to him even if the Moorish man was telling a lie, after all, he had already obtained a pearl that seemed to be of great value, and as for whether he could get a better reward, it would be seen later.

Looking at the departing clerk, Massimo licked his dry lips and couldn't help but look in the direction of the volcano in the distance, although it was blocked by a high fence, he seemed to have felt the horror.

"Won't let us go to the quarry, we've already paid the man," Massimo muttered under his breath, then he stood up and looked up at the scorching sun overhead, "If you really want to go to the quarry, you're going to hell." ”

However, Massimo soon discovered that he had the potential to be a prophet.

Before the clerk could bring back the letter, the quarry had already sent for the selection of the hard labor to be done.

Alexander was unfortunate enough to be chosen to go with his master to the tribulation, and Massimo was glad that he had escaped a calamity, but when he saw the ill-intentioned sneer of his husband and his companions, he thought about it for a moment, and immediately volunteered to do hard labor, quoting the sentence that Jesus faced trials when he walked through the hard road.

It was only when he finally embarked on the hard road to the quarry that Massimo learned that not everyone could imitate Jesus Christ.

If July is the hottest season of the year, then Vesuvius is undoubtedly the hottest place in the scorching sun that can strip the skin.

There are light brown white rocks everywhere, and even under some steep mountain walls, it is difficult to see a little greenery due to the scorching heat.

As soon as you open your mouth, the hot dry air will pour into your mouth, and then down your throat and directly into your lungs, which will make you feel as if a fire is burning in your body, and if you have to keep walking under your feet, then the fire will keep heating until your consciousness is completely scorched and you fall to the ground.

Alexander had seen more than one person fall like this, and although there was no escort soldier who walked over and slit the unfortunate man's throat with a sword in his hand, he was dragged up and pushed on.

Alexander looked up at the top of the mountain road, and Mount Vesuvius, which seemed to be in front of him but was never reached, was "not far away" in front of him.

It was a terrible volcano, and the reason why it was terrible was because this volcano had ravaged many times in the early years and devoured countless lives, and the cities built near this volcano for generations were once threatened by its terrible power that could destroy everything, and as for the famous Pompeii that was swallowed by this volcano, it was still buried under deep volcanic ash at this time, and it would take nearly three centuries for people to be discovered.

And since the ascent of the mountain, the strange smell that can be smelled from afar is a reminder that the truly terrifying part of this volcano is that it is still "alive"!

The quarry is located at the northern foot of the volcano, and because it is separated by a tall volcano, you can't see the sea from here, so you can't feel the slightest coolness of the sea breeze.

All that's left here is bare stones and dust flying everywhere.

Eruptions of volcanic ash have created a cassis on the mountainside, where the quarry sits on a slightly gentle slope.

In the distance, you can see black dots swaying on the mountainside, and faint knocking sounds come and go.

The two men came down the mountain road carrying a pile of gravel with a wooden plank, and when they saw Alexander, their faces twitched at their faces, which were so obscured by the dust, that they seemed to smile not very flatteringly.

"Behold, at last there is a substitute for us!"

One man shouted back, and then threw the plank down the hillside with a flick of his wrist, and there was already a cheer from the hill.

The guards didn't seem to care about the shouts, they just stared at the newcomers.

Then a man walked down the mountain path, and he kept beating his leg with a whip in his hand, because the heat was already soaking through the clothes on his chest, and perhaps because of the heat, he was in a bad mood.

"Those are the people?" The man asked the escorting soldiers, and then whipped the people in front of him one by one, and when he walked up to Ulliu, the man leaned over and sniffed it, with a look of disgust on his face, "Do you even need to use the Moors now?" ”

"He came with his master," explained the escort guard, pointing to Alexander, "This man is his master." ”

"A young master," the man picked up the soft hat on his head with his whip, walked up to Alexander, and looked at the beautiful face of the young man in front of him, he pressed the whip on Alexander's shoulder, "tell me what you have done, it is better to tell the truth young man, this is not a place for a young master like you to stay." ”

"My accompanying priest had a dispute with a man, and I helped him fight," Alexander said unhurriedly, knowing that the reason why this man was suddenly interested in him was that he had misunderstood what kind of rich young master he was, and thought that he could take this opportunity to blackmail himself, "but I don't think I will stay here for long, and if you can help us, I will repay you." ”

"Then how do you want to repay?" The man smiled, and he felt that this young man was still very good, and at least he knew that he should be humble when the situation was not good.

"I can have people bring you a lot of food, and as for you personally, I think you can do it with just money." At this point, Alexander stared at the man closely.

He noticed a slight twitch on the man's face as he spoke of food, which made him more sure of his previous suspicions.

"If I don't want money, how much more food will you give me?" The man asked with interest, "And wait, how can you give it to me now?" ”

"You can send someone to the city, but it would be better if you could get a message for me before then," Alexander finally said his most desperate hope, and since he had almost heard something, he was eager to leave here as soon as possible, "You just have to send someone to the Aragonese garrison to find Master Gundoza of Wallash, and tell him that Alexandre Juliant Gombray is here, and you will get what you want." ”

After saying this, Alexander smiled in what he thought was the most sincere.

It's just that he didn't expect that when he heard his words, the same smile that the person had originally shown disappeared in an instant, and then he suddenly raised the whip in his hand and pulled it at Alexander without a head!

Alexander instinctively raised his hand to block it, and suddenly a tingling pain came from his wrist!

"Shut up, you damned Aragonese, if you think you can impress me with a little food, you're too presumptuous!"

The man raised his whip and couldn't stop whitting, ignoring Ulliu and Massimo who rushed to stop him, until Massimo had been whipped a few times and let out a shout, and he didn't take a moment to fight. 、

"Come, wave your whip at the sacred vestment," Massimo said with his arms outstretched and like a humanoid cross, "to violence the holy cross, and let everyone see how you treat God's servants." ”

The man was obviously a little at a loss because of Massimo's action, and although he raised his hand high, he couldn't stop fighting for a while, and then he suddenly turned around and shouted to the guards: "Let them go to the western district, if they can't smash twice the quota of stones every day, they will not be allowed to eat!" ”

It wasn't until the angry warden walked away that Ulliu picked up Alexander, while Massimo beside him shook his head, and he put on the monk's robes that had been tattered for a day, and then asked in a slightly pleading voice: "My friend, do you think the man you are looking for can really help us?" ”

"Believe me, if I'm not mistaken, it's actually him who needs my help," Alexander slapped the dust off his body, and although he received a few lashes, he smiled, and then he suddenly said to Massimo, "Oh, if I wanted you to be my accompanying priest now, would you agree?" ”

"My lord, I am a devout monk, who follows the Benedict as if it were a protective eye, and swears that chastity and poverty and asceticism are the way of my life's pursuit of truth, and even if there are many temptations in the world, what can it do to me."

Massimo said in a regretful tone, he looked so pious that some people began to wonder if he had the illusion that he had been chased all over the yard by his husband.

Even Uliuu was somewhat moved.

Just when everyone thought that Alexander had been rejected, Mashimo suddenly tilted his head:

"But I see something else in you, something that makes me feel that I should be more persistent in exploring even if I am punished for violating the rules, so I am glad to have invited you, and allow me to kiss your hand and let me follow you."

"This cheats to eat and drink!"

Uliu scolded in his heart.

The West End is the worst part of the quarry, completely exposed to the scorching sun, with no green or shade on the bare hills, and the weather is a real hell for the convicts who are forced to work.

In addition to the heat, there is also the characteristic smell of sulfur pools formed by volcanoes, and puffs of yellow smoke from far and near come out of the cracks in the ground from time to time, accompanied by the stench of thick smoke.

Alexander was forced to do twice as much work as the others, and when he struck the stone with pliers and mallets, every swing of his arm seemed to require all his strength.

So when the call for the end of the work sounds, don't say that the share is more than twice the share, and even the original share is not completed.

Watching the others leave with their rice bowls like thin soup, the three of Alexander looked at the warden who stood there watching them sneer.

"My young master Aragorn, it must be a bad feeling to be hungry, but I hope you will remember this feeling," the warden walked up to Alexander and stared at him, "so that even if I return to your palace in the future, I will not forget what it is like to be hungry." ”

After saying that, the warden pushed away Ulliu next to him and walked towards his house.

"Looks like I'm going to be hungry today," Alexander waved weakly, leading the two men who were also close to collapse to a large rock and lay down.

"Master, I don't know when you can leave." Uliwu asked weakly.

"Wait," Alexander licked his lips, thirst more unbearable than hunger, "go to bed first, and when you fall asleep, you won't be hungry." ”

"And what about tomorrow," Massimo tried to draw a cross to comfort himself, but waved his hand halfway through the stroke and gave up, "tomorrow we may not even have the strength to swing the hammer." ”

"Hope someone will come looking for us tomorrow," Alexander said in a daze, and fell asleep against the rock.

In a trance, Alexander felt someone shaking him, and he barely opened his eyes, and saw the face of Ulliu mixed with the night.

"Master, someone is coming to pick us up!"

Alexander's excited voice woke Alexander, and he got up to see Massimo beside him, who was crying with joy, and saw several trance-like figures not far away.

One of them walked slowly towards them stepping on a stone, and when approaching, Alexander saw his face clearly.

"Honorable messenger, I didn't expect to meet here." The man's face was ugly.

"I really didn't expect it," Alexander smiled slightly, "Lord Jossurnan." ”