The fog fills the entire city, and this is how Frank is this year every year, which is a sign of the gradual warming of the weather.

Similarly, the capital is gradually returning to its former peace and tranquility. With the end of the unknown decisive battle in the heavy rain, the turmoil that lasted for several months has come to an end for the time being.

The death of Paladin Monstock, with the end of Mr. Lomel's rule over the dark world on the northwest coast, finally had a satisfactory solution.

All the charges were piled on this thief leader who was traitor in the northwest, and everyone was quite satisfied with this solution.

After the order was restored, Franck seemed unusually prosperous. What is most interesting is that the Legal Affairs Office has never been as popular as it is now, and its enthusiasm even surprised the Marquis of Farule and his subordinates.

But what surprised them the most was the huge wealth that rolled in. In fact, no one would have thought that the cooperation would be so smooth and would bring such huge profits to both of them.

The goods from the south are continuously transported to the capital, and specialties from all over the country are also continuously gathering in the center of this wealth.

The visit of His Highness Prince Delizhi and the successful conquering the incomprehensible island of Iron with the gold coins in his hand, adding an extremely bright color to Franck's prosperity.

When dozens of representatives of the most influential wealthy families in the Kingdom of England arrived in Frank with the return of Mr. Eckert, it almost caused a sensation in the entire city.

For the King and the Queen, Mr. Eckert brought them a great diplomatic victory, and for the Marquis of Farour and Marquis of Mag, it meant an increase of a profitable road, and for the merchants, there was no more popular than a wealthy but closed procurement group sent by neighbors, who seemed to them to be the greatest figure second only to Mr. Eckert.

In recognition of Mr. Eckert's merits, as all expected, His Majesty the King and the Queen gave him the title of Lord.

The most interesting thing is that in addition to the Marquis of Farour and Marquis of Mag, the Duke of Auburn and a group of heavyweights in the Presbyterian House nominated and guaranteed Mr. Eckert.

At the same time, being strongly attracted and show favor from all these people is unique in the history of the Kingdom of Francis.

But everyone believed that this was taken for granted for Lord Eckert and the young heir of Serthborg.

Those who had the closest contact with the little heir of Sesieburg were even more clear that the little heir of Sesieburg simply ignored the infinite scenery in front of him. Those people were also convinced that the little heir of Sesieburg did not deliberately show off his noble appearance, and he did not need to deliberately show himself. Almost everyone in the capital believed that this genius boy was much more brilliant than any of them.

The reason why the little heir of Sethburgh ignores fame and status is simply because he is a magician, a magician who is obsessed with magic research. Recently, the little heir of Sethburgh is obviously conducting an extremely important magic research.

...

Rebow rode his thoroughbred horse, famous throughout the Kingdom of Franck, on the streets of Franck. Because the slight mist made him dare not speed up.

Although there were few pedestrians and carriages on the streets in the morning, Ruibo still lit up the lantern hanging in front of the saddle. The dim light shrouded in the mist, making his figure visible from afar.

The buildings on both sides of the mist were hazy, as if they were a watercolor painting with light and shadows. Occasionally, a carriage with dim fog lights would come to the front. Ruibo could even see the scene where the carriage was approaching, as the mist was separated like sea water.

In the early morning, Franck's gate opened early, and the escorts of the Law and Political Department guarding the gate were full of energy. They were waiting for the arrival of the little heir of Sethborough.

As usual, after saying hello, Ruibo bounced lightly, and a gold coin drew a graceful arc and fell into the hands of the leader wearing a gold-plated ship helmet and shiny armor.

"Sir Earl, the fog is very heavy today. Please be careful to walk." The leader said while flattering.

Rebol has long been used to this kind of compliment.

After leaving the city gate, the buildings on both sides of the streets were very different from those in Franck. The buildings here were extremely crowded. Although the shops on both sides of the street looked extremely noisy and messy, they were quite prosperous. You could see pedestrians walking around, wandering among shops, or standing on the side of the road to chat with acquaintances. All of this seemed so familiar and intimate that Ruibo couldn't help but think of the years he spent in Southport.

Rebow slowed down the horse, waiting for a friend he had just met recently, an old man who had extraordinary experiences like Mr. Hyde, an old man who entered his twilight years with Mr. Hyde, but had many things to be accomplished, and an old man who had experienced vicissitudes like Mr. Hyde.

Another reason why Ruibo was so close to the old man was that the old man could be called the most approachable noble he had ever seen.

At the beginning, Ribo even thought that the old man was a civilian nobleman like Mr. Hyde. It was not until he got deeper contact that he knew that the old man had a viscount's head street. His family was a diplomat for generations. Although it was not prosperous, his family was deeply rooted in Frank.

In the mist, a hunched figure walked towards this place, followed by a carriage not far behind him.

"Good morning, Mr. Philo." Rebow got off the horse and said hello.

"Hello, let's go to Neil's place. For my old bones, the damp mist is about to rust my parts." The old man joked.

Ruibo handed the reins to the coachman who followed the old man. The coachman was also a little older. Seeing his bright clothes, he was obviously not just the coachman of the old man, but perhaps also a personal servant or housekeeper.

Rebow knew the details of some old men. Viscount Filo, like Mr. Hyde, had served as a diplomat. Like most diplomats, Viscount Filo had only a few servants who had to be trusted at the same time. In fact, for a person who often wanted to travel, many servants seemed unnecessary, and a useful servant was more precious than anything else.

In Ribo's opinion, the old man's elderly servant could obviously be considered quite valuable. He should be a good coachman, and from his strong body and thick arms, he could see that when the crisis came, he would definitely be an excellent warrior no less than Ed's.

As usual, Ruibo followed the old man and walked into a narrow alley next to him. This was probably one of the most inconspicuous corners in the capital. Ruibo was sure that he would never have found this place without the old man's guidance.

The alley is very narrow, and can only accommodate two people walking side by side, but it is very deep, extending for hundreds of meters. The other end of the alley is connected to a rather prosperous street, but this alley itself is definitely not easy to attract others' attention.

Such a deserted alley is full of shops, but it is completely different from the shops in other places. Only familiar customers are welcome here.

Walking into a restaurant that was frugal, the middle-aged waiter standing in front of the counter nodded and greeted Ribo and the old man.

"I'm frozen. Can you give me a glass of sweet wine first?" said the old man.

Without saying a word, the middle-aged waiter immediately picked up a silver wine pot and placed it on the alcohol stove next to it.

There were originally two guests in the restaurant. They were chatting in the seats near the window. When they saw the old man coming in, the two people also greeted him.

Ruibo knew those two people, but in fact he met many people here.

In Ribo's opinion, this inconspicuous alley can definitely be regarded as a gathering place for wisdom and art, but those who come here always laugh at themselves and claim that this is a shelter for unsuccessful guys.

As far as Ruibo knows, the facts are indeed as they said, most of the people who are lingering here are unsuccessful people. Just like the two people in front of him, Mr. Folun, who is slightly bald and has a rosacea nose, may be the most authoritative antique appraisal expert in the city, but his sharp eyes are now swollen due to excessive alcoholism, and his mind is rarely sober. In addition, the tall and thin old man is a collector, and he is one of the best figures in this circle, but he also has his own lament and lives are not more abundant than others.

Sitting down next to the two chattering people, the old man immediately joined their topic.

"Have Silev found any good things recently?" the old man asked.

"Oh! Philo, Silev is worried about this! He is afraid he will be in real trouble. His ambitious bastard son is clamoring to sell his favorite collections." The bald old man sighed and said.

The collector gentleman was obviously in a very disappointed mood, and he poured all the wine in the cup in one gulp.

"Why? There must be some reason." Mr. Philo asked.

"After all, it's not for money? You should be very clear that everyone has been having the same dream of a crazy dream recently. Everyone has seen a mountain of gold placed in front of them. Mr. Silev's son is just one of the many people who dream of making money. The capital must be invested in digging that mountain of gold. The more capital it is, the more benefits it gets." The waiter suddenly interrupted, shaking the wine pot while talking, and a jingling sound made in the wine pot.

"Neil, add another piece of rock candy to me." The old man ordered as he listened to the sound inside the wine pot.

"Silov, maybe you and your son can give in to each other." The old man said again.

"I have already given up. I have given up on the collection of some of my most cherished items, but greed is not easy to be satisfied. You should know this very well," Siliao said with a sad face and shook his head.

"Crazy, everyone is crazy, everyone is holding a scale in their hands. One end of the scale is gold, and the other end..." Mr. Fulun smiled helplessly and said, "Everyone has put everything on gold. Family affection and conscience are useless."

As he was speaking, the waiter came over with the wine pot, he placed the wine pot and a silver shallow-bottomed wine glass in front of the old man, and then sat down on a chair next to him.

"Maybe you are no longer suitable for this world, maybe this world is no longer suitable for you, everything outside is changing, but you can no longer change." The waiter said: "That's all those who come here."

Just as he was talking, a short and thin old man suddenly opened the door and walked in. He was holding a flat thing wrapped in thick oil paper in his hand.

"I've found another painting?" Fulun asked with his swollen eyes open, guessing that the old man was here to find him.

"Oh! You guessed it right. It depends on how lucky I am. Recently, many people in the capital are willing to sell treasures that they don't usually see. This is simply great." The old man said excitedly: "You can help me identify them."

As he said that, the old man took off the oil paper and saw that the thick oil paper was wrapped with an extremely exquisite small portrait.

"The portrait of Mrs. Charlayton in Topini is definitely a rare treasure. I hope it is not a fake or a stolen item." Folun took the painting, opened his eyes wide and said.

"It is definitely not a stolen item. The person who sold this painting has all the certificates." said the old man.

"What documents cannot be forged? You are not a big deal in this industry. Do you even know this?" Fulun said disapprovingly.

"Okay, dear Furun, help me identify if this is a fake. I can't afford the losses that a fake may bring to me, whether it is money or reputation." said the old man.

"I know, you dirty and obscene broker and art dealer." Furen said with a smile: "Is the reward the same as usual?"

The little old man took out a purse from his pocket and threw it on the table and said, "This is half. On Monday, you will hand over the certificate to me and I will settle the other half with you."

Fulun did not reach out to get the purse, which was taken away by the waiter. He poured out the silver coins inside and counted them, then nodded and said, "The credit for the first two months has been settled."

"He can settle all his credit soon, because I have to do several businesses recently." The old man said proudly.

"By the way, Silev, I heard that you want to sell your collection. I can sell you a good price. Due to the friendship between you and me, I only charge half the reward." The old man said.

Silev didn't say a word, and his face looked even more gloomy.

"Okay, I haven't said what I said just now." The old man said quickly.

"Philo, how are your two sons doing now? Do you still cause trouble for you all day long?" asked the old man.

"My worries are similar to those of Silev. They don't know what they really should cherish. They only know the immediate interests. However, compared with Silev, I have some prestige in their eyes, and they dare not go against my wishes." The old man took a sip of sweet wine and said slowly.

"My Viscount, that's because you can easily sweep the sons of disobedience out, and they will lose everything, reputation, status, and inheritance of titles. In their eyes, you are the king and god who dominate everything. But Silev cannot do it. As long as you stuff gold coins into the hands of any secretary around any judge, the court will rule that any statement that is unfavorable to his son is invalid." The old man said hurriedly.

"But, isn't there a junior around you who satisfy you?" Folun pointed to Ruibo and asked, "Is he your grandson or nephew?"

"Oh, I really hope to have such an outstanding heir. It's a pity that he is the grandson of an old friend of mine." Viscount Filo shrugged and said.

"Anyway, you have no plans to retire, and you are not as old as you are in a hurry to consider your heirs." Silev sighed.

"That's right, I still have some things that have not been completed. I have worked hard for all this for the rest of my life. Even if I have a glance, I want to see the result of my life's hard work." The old man said deeply and distantly, his eyes staring into the distance, and his will seemed to fly to the distant place.

"What is the use of the end result of your hard work for those who are dying like you and me? Are you going to take your achievements into the grave?" Silev asked, suddenly he sighed again and slowly stood up from his seat and said, "Anyway, everything belongs to my son sooner or later. Even if I stop him from selling my collection now, will my son keep them as a memory after I die?"

"You finally understand." The old man said excitedly.

Silev's face was filled with loneliness, and he walked straight out of the restaurant. His hunched back looked so lonely and sad.

"Where is me?" the old man said to himself.

"Everyone will have their own choices. Silev cherishes his collection. His son values ​​the opportunity in front of him. I only care about the wine in the wine glass in my hand. Gao En is busy with his broker business all day long. Neil guards this broken store. Everyone has his own way of life." Fulun said with his turbid eyes, and he buried his head in the painting. After all, this is his job and the source of his income.

The old man remained silent, and the same was true for Ruibo.

In fact, this is exactly what this alley has touched him the most.

At the beginning, in his opinion, everyone here could become rich as long as he gets some help from him, and everyone here is not an incompetent person. However, after spending a long time together, Ruibo found that those who stay here may not be interested in improving their lives.

As Folun said, everyone has their own way of life, and the people here are even more so.

Ruibo couldn't help but think about his lifestyle, which was a major proposition that he had never thought about carefully.
To be continued...