Marquis Stref, Lord of the Rhine, is ill. Although the lord of the castle was sick and almost fainted in public while dealing with official duties, the news spread throughout the Rhine City.

For a while, the noblewomen and noble ladies in the Rhine City quietly shed more tears, and felt sorry for their dream lover.

The young knight Claude rushed back from the parish of Srmont. Snow rarely falls in the hot city of the Rhine, and when the winter is particularly cold, the fields are covered with a layer of hoarfrost at most, which is already very cold.

Claude rode on horseback and slowly passed the vast grounds of the Streiff Manor.

He used to think that the bare vines on both sides of the road in winter had no beauty, but now a fire had destroyed the vineyards, and the blackened dead branches were crawling in the brown soil, and the slaves who happened to pass by were also frosty.

A fire not only burned down the vineyard that had been carefully cultivated at the Stryff estate for more than ten years, but my father fell ill because of it, and the slaves who had trusted the Stryff family in the past were also affected by this, and are now also very confused.

Claude, who has never been a fan of family chores, also knows that these 10-year-old vines are in their prime and that if nothing happens, a vine will bear fruit for 30-50 years. The burned vineyards are not only the loss of this year's income, but also the cultivation and planting of the vines after at least a few years before they are to be restored to the full spring.

Who has such a deep hatred for the Streiffs?

The young knight on horseback knew that his father, the Marquis de Strave, was a very tactful man, and although Claude felt that it was aristocratic hypocrisy, it was undeniable that this pompous enthusiasm had made the Marquis of Strave invincible in his relationships.

"Master Claude, you're finally back!"

The old butler, who had served Stlev Manor for most of his life, greeted him, his face unusually haggard.

When he looked at Claude, there was a deep relief in the old man's eyes.

Claude and his father were estranged, and it was well known in Streiff Manor, and when Monsieur Marquis fell ill, Young Master Claude rushed back from the distant parish of Selmont, and in the eyes of the old butler, it was a father-son relationship at a critical moment!

After all, the Marquis of Strave has only one son, Claude, and the family property and Stlev Manor will be inherited by Young Master Claude in the future, and the old butler follows Claude and leads the horse and clothes for him, and there is a kind of relief and bitterness that the child has finally grown up.

"I don't know where the thieves came from, they broke into the manor and set it on fire, and the thieves poured fire oil around the castle, if they hadn't found it early, the whole castle would have been in flames...... The fire burned all night, and the slaves were now homeless. ”

The old butler said as he walked, his tone indignant.

The slaves who tended to the fields were different from the servants in the castle, and the houses of the former were in the middle of the vineyards, which was easy to manage.

The fire burned all night, destroying not only the houses, but also many others.

The Marquis of Streiff was a notoriously good man, and he also contributed money and efforts to treat the slaves who were injured, and the Stryff Manor really suffered a lot this time.

After entering the castle, Clyde took the hot tea from the maid before replying:

"Last time there were assassins, and this time there were thieves who burned the vineyard, did my father offend someone?"

The old butler's face was full of excitement and tried to defend himself, but in the end he didn't say anything.

"Young Master Claude, you better go and see Lord Marquis."

"The people who came back with me this time are all members of the Knights of Light in the Diocese of Selmont, we still have a mission to do, and we won't stay in Rhine City for too long, you can help me settle them."

A cup of hot tea dispelled the sleepiness and chill of the night's journey, and Claude put down the teacup and instructed the old butler to take precautions, and went up the stairs to the marquis's bedroom.

The bedroom of Monsieur Marquis is on the third floor of the castle, where the lights are the best.

When you open the door, the first thing you see is the oil painting of the people hanging on the wall.

It was a plump, fair-skinned lady with a gentle smile. Her hair was tied together, and a hairbrush inlaid with various colored gems was inserted, which set off her face with a noble and beautiful face.

She was the Marquise, who died young, Claude's mother. The early death of the Marquise and the solitude of the Marquis, became a manifestation of his dedication...... However, Claude has no memory of his mother in his memory, and in the past twenty years, the only person who briefly gave him a mother-like feeling was probably the Countess of Lorentz, the great magician Quirin Cappado.

After his last return to the parish of Srmont, he concealed the Marquis of Strave's secret and asked someone to find out the whereabouts of Chaqueline, and Claude hoped that good news would come soon.

The old butler did not say that there were others in the marquis's room.

At first glance, it is also an old acquaintance, the priest of light stationed in the Rhine City in the diocese of Ulbury.

"I've seen the priest."

Claude gave a standard chivalric salute and greeted the Marquis lying on the bed.

The Marquis of Strelf's deep eyes, which fascinated the noble women of the Rhine, were very haggard, his face was pale, and his lips were blue.

The physique of the Great Sword Master rarely gets sick, but when he gets sick, it is not a trivial matter every time.

"My child, I heard that you are now the captain of the Knights?" The Priest of Light had come to heal the Marquis, and he was also an elder who had watched Claude grow up, and he spoke intimately.

Claude and the priest of light spoke for a few words, and the other party offered to take his leave, leaving space for father and son.

"Claude, send me the priest."

Monsieur Marquis lay on the bed, coughing incessantly as he spoke, and lacked breath.

Claude sent the priest of light out of the castle, and the old butler had already prepared the carriage.

Before getting into the car, the priest said earnestly: "Claude, if you can, you should be transferred back to Ulbury." The Marquis of Stleiff seems to be in good health, but he has long lacked the necessary rest, your father is a dutiful lord of the city, you have grown up, he is slowly aging, maybe you can come back to help him. ”

Claude nodded: "I'll think about it carefully, I'll send it to you." ”

The Priest of Light shook his head, "No need, go back quickly, kid, your father is sick, and he needs you." ”

When Claude returned to the bedroom, the Marquis of Strave was leaning against the bed, closing his eyes and recuperating. He had always thought that his father was in the prime of life, and that he was at the pinnacle of power in the Rhine, and that his son was dispensable to the marquis, who was busy all day.

A sudden illness made him feel guilty for his actions in leaving the diocese of Selmon. The Priestess was right, now my father needed him, and the Stryff family needed him.

"Father, the thief who burned down the vineyard, doesn't he have a clue?"

The father and son, who have not communicated for too long, will need time to open the ice between the two. Claude obviously wanted to greet the Marquis's physical condition, but as soon as he spoke, his words turned into a businesslike inquiry.

This annoyed the young knight.

The marquis, who was lying on the bed, opened his eyes, but was very satisfied with Claude's calmness.

The strong do not need to be pitied, especially from the only son, which will make the marquis feel uncomfortable.

"There are clues. The cavalry of the castle found out that two months ago, someone in Amster City had issued a mercenary mission to burn the vineyards owned by the Strave family. Not long after, a fire broke out in the manor, apparently by the lawless mercenaries. ”

Monsieur Marquis was seriously ill, and began to pant heavily after a passage.

Claude hurriedly poured him a glass of water and fed the marquis to drink it slowly.

The knight was surprised that it was Amster again! Before leaving, Archbishop Edward summoned him alone and told him to investigate the "Eater of Souls" ...... his father in Emste, and I was going to go to Amst myself. ”

The Marquis was surprised, "You also got a clue?" ”

Claude shook his head, explained Archbishop Edward's instructions in general, and suddenly asked, "Father, do you know Archbishop Edward?" ”

Marquis Strave shook his head, "This archbishop has never served in Ulbury, how can I know him." ”

Claude was reluctant to speak, and he always felt that Archbishop Edward would not mention his family history for no reason. But since his father said that he didn't know, he couldn't ask anything.

"I didn't expect the diocese of Srmon to send you to Amste to send a mission to the dark creatures, my child, you are so young, when you arrive in Amster, you have to be careful when you go."

"As for the burning of the vineyards, you should leave it alone." ”

Claude shook his head, "As the heir of the Straiff family, I also have my responsibilities, and my father doesn't need to persuade me. ”

Mr. Marquis sighed, "Claude, sometimes the emotions in our hearts will conflict with the responsibilities on our shoulders, I hope you will always remember what you said, you are the heir of the Stryff family, the only heir." ”

The Marquis's expression was very complicated, and Claude's head was clouded, and for a moment he thought that the Marquis knew that he was looking for the whereabouts of Lady Quirin Cappador.

"I know that you regard Rachel as your sister, the owner of the apartment at 18 Champagne Boulevard, the same age as Rachel, and the origin of the fan, she was assassinated when she lived in Stlev Manor, and when she arrived in Amster, Stlev Manor was set on fire again, and the security of Rhine has always been very good, both of these things are too abnormal.

If it had anything to do with her, I didn't blame her. It's just that if you go to Emster, it would be best if you could untie her knot by the way. She is young and ignorant, and she doesn't understand the truth about the disaster that happened to the Lorenz family, so it is not surprising that she did something angry under the instigation of someone with a heart...... Child, promise me not to blame her, okay? ”

The marquis took Claude's hand and urged him earnestly, and the knight couldn't help but clench his palm.

"Father, do you mean that she did the burning of the Strave's vineyard? How could it be ......"

How is that possible?

Is it really for such a bright and flying girl to hide her identity and return to Rhine City to take revenge on the Stleiff family?

Claude shook her head secretly, then she must have found the wrong person.

The young knight had a hunch in his heart that his trip to Amster, after listening to the Marquis's words, was not destined to be too peaceful.