The duke's carriage, driven by his great black horses, galloped down the dirt road that led into town. The Duke made this trip every 3 days to buy and sell products to the town. All the time he made this trip he always did it alone, with no one to accompany him. Yet for the first time in decades, one more figure had joined him on his trade journey, the figure of a horseman joined him, standing behind the merchant's chariot.
The small caravan proceeded down the dirt road for about 16 minutes until the merchant's carriage began to slow down, the rider following it began to slow down until the carriage came to a complete stop at a road junction.
The raider behind the merchant advanced to the front of the carriage, where the merchant led his horses.
As he advanced towards the merchant, the rider observed why the merchant had stopped. It was a path that led downhill, and from there he could see the famous town. He could see the houses with their chimneys expelling the smoke, the windows illuminated by sources of light that could well be candles or spotlights, the mercenary was not sure, the town, despite its local charm, screamed one characteristic: poverty. The houses were mostly single-story and made of poorly resistant material.
It wasn't all that different from the slums of OutWorld, where crimes abounded and crime lords operating below the law, despite the harsh laws of justice that Kotal Kahn had put into practice during his tenure.
However, these houses did not appear to be "red neighborhoods" where crime was rife. Although the sun was setting in the distance and the last rays of the sun illuminated the town, in the distance small figures of children could be seen running among themselves, of women laying out clothes and men cutting firewood or doing other activities.
"Do you enjoy the view, Mr. Black?" - Asked the Duke - "The Lost Hidden Villa of the Valley, a city that has been lost from Romanian national records since the 30s, with approximately 800 inhabitants, the people of this city have a peaceful life far from the modern world.
"The people of the village have an undeniable devotion to the de facto leader, Mother Miranda, a religious figure for the people ". - The merchant finished explaining.
Erron remembered again and remembered the beast having mentioned that the Lords were attacked by soldiers. He mainly remembered one last name, Heisenberg's, due to a television series that he had seen years ago. In addition to the second surname, Dimitrescu, not only because of what he had said the beast, but because the Duke mentioned that he had business with the Dimitrescu family.
"The 4 Lords of the Valley control a vital part of the village, . I'm sure he remembers 2 of them. " - The Duke was giving an explanation again. - "Lord Heisenberg controls an iron factory on the northeast side of town, some men work for him as laborers. On the south side is the Dimitrescu Castle, governed by Lady Dimitrescu, a woman dedicated to the manufacture of wines, which are sold at exorbitant prices, obviously sold abroad,… "
As the Duke explained the Village roles played by the Lords, Black looked to the northeast and south. I confirm what the Duke said, he met the factory with its large chimneys. He looked south and looked at the castle that Duke had mentioned, it was very different from the ones he had seen, more traditional than the classical figure of the castle, with its pointed towers and the great gate.
"In the north is the Lord Moreau Reservoir, in its area there is a river that passes through a dam that acts as an electricity generator for the entire town, in addition to the local fishermen asking for permission and paying tribute to be able to fish in the river and finally in the southwest is the residence of Lady Benevento, her farm is responsible for the development of natural remedies for which people buy for their ailments as well as the manufacture of garments and dresses on a large scale."- The Duke explains as he gives a deep sigh.
Erron rechecked the words of the Duke as he watched the directions indicated and actually saw the large dam in the north and the farm in the southwest. Because the sunlight was fading, Erron couldn't make out the lords' areas in greater detail.
Erron refocused on the small town and was able to identify a huge white or gray statue, apparently the statue was of a woman with a sword.
"Yes, I can see it well."- Said the mercenary. Erron had good eyesight although he was sorry he hadn't brought his spyglass.
"Very well, to the left of the statue there will be a large green 2-story building." The Duke said. - "This is the Lupu family inn, run by Leonardo Lupu. You give him the package and tell him that I sent you and he will surely give you a room. Also remember that they will not accept your dollars, you can only use the Lei. "- The Duke finished explaining.
Erron heard every word of the merchant. He just had to continue riding to the statue and enter the green inn, deliver the package, and receive the reward from him.
"Very well, Duke, I'll take care of here" - Said the mercenary, preparing to leave.
"I hope so, , I must go to the Dimitrescu Castle, tomorrow I will be in the center of town at noon, if you want to buy something else or need more information about the town, do not hesitate to visit me."
"Sure Duke, see you." - Erron said as he went to the center of town riding his horse.
Erron walked down the dirt road with his horse, the road was wide enough for two cars could advance to par. He took a closer look at the houses, they were uglier up close, with old wooden walls with thatched roofs and metal.
The people outside seemed to be concerned about his presence. Despite the fact that the cloak the Duke had given him covered his torso, he still gave off an air of danger. Stetson's old hat, adorned with his seal and his leather and metal mask made him a perfect stranger to the village. He was out of place.
He ride for a couple more minutes until he reach the Lupu family inn. It was a large, green, 2-story building. There were lights outside the premises, he saw that on the side of the building there was a barn for loading animals, he saw some horses and mules inside the barn.
The main door of the premises was open, there were noises of people inside the premises, apparently drinking and laughing. Near the front entrance he saw a fence where he could tie up his horse. Maybe he will get some hay for the animal.
"It seems to be here." - Erron said to himself when he saw the building.
Erron entered the premises opening the two doors wide only to be greeted with glances from the few people inside the premises. The people did not look dangerous, they were mostly men between 30 and 40 years old, they wore very old clothes. Erron knew what it was like to wear old-fashioned clothes, but these people reminded Erron of the peasants of the 1920s, excluding denim, of course, since all these men were dressed in clothes made of cloth. However, some of the men had workman's helmets on their heads or on the table.
The tables where the men met had bottles of local beer, plates of food, and many ashtrays.
Erron proceeded to walk up to the bar, ignoring most of the men there. An old man with gray hair and beard was standing at the drinks bar. This man looked at him with a certain caution and distrust.
"What do you want stranger?" - Asked hostilely the man of the bar to the stranger who entered the premises.
"I would like a shot of whiskey." - Erron answered, settling into the bar.
The old man proceeded to take a bottle of whiskey and pour it into a glass. When he finished filling the glass, he handed it to the stranger.
Erron removed the mask that covered his face, leaving it on the table next to him, exposing a brown beard and mustache that had not been shaved in weeks. He took a swig of the drink, leaving a portion in the glass.
While the bartender was cleaning some glasses with a small towel, the stranger asked him a question.
"Are you Leonardo Lupu?" - Erron asked, while he looked at a trophy hanging on one of the walls, it was the head of a Lycan.
"Why so sudden a stranger question?" - answered the waiter, feeling threatened by the stranger's question.
"I have a package for Leonardo, it is an commission from the Duke." - Said the stranger, while he finished his drink.
The old man was about to take the double barrel shotgun that was under the bar, until the stranger mentioned the package.
"Excuse me, my bad courtesy, sir." - said the old man - "Indeed, I am Leonardo Lupu, owner of this humble abode."
"As I imagined from the beginning." - said the stranger. - "The Duke ordered me to deliver a package and you would give me a room in return."
"Of course, if you work for the Duke, surely you must be someone the merchant's trust, despite being an outsider" - said Leonardo - "But first I want to see the package."
Erron nodded. He took the leather backpack that hung on his back to pull out the package that Duke handed him.
Leonardo saw the stranger's backpack, a rifle barrel protruded from that backpack. In addition, they sounded as if there were coins inside the backpack due to the noise of metal colliding.
"This is the package that Duke gave me," Erron said as he held the package. -"Take it."
Erron handed the manila package to Leonardo Lupu.
Leonardo received the package forward, as he turned around to open it. He needed privacy. It was like that for a couple of minutes, until he turned around to the stranger.
"Any problem?" - Asked the stranger, while he adjusted the mask in his place.
"None, sir ..." - Leonardo replied
"Erron Black" - said the stranger - "I'm glad to hear it, but the matter of my payment is still pending."
"Of course, you want a room, right?" asked Leonardo.
"Of course how much it cost, the duke told me you were charging 600 lei." - Erron said to Leonardo.
"Of course it is, but only for the locals who cannot return home and need a safe bed for the night. On the other hand, you are not a local so I would charge you 900 lei per night plus 200 lei for your horse tied up outside. "- explained the owner.
Erron thought to himself: "$ 11 a night, so he would pay between $ 77 and $ 99".
"Okay, listen well Mr. Leonardo, I pay you 7700 lei, maybe I'll pay for 2 more days" - Erron explained - "I just want privacy and that the food is delivered to my room" - Erron explained while taking out the amount of lei and put it on the table.
Leonardo was not used to a profitable treatment from a client for his business, however, if this man was willing to pay for 7 days, he would surely have a lot of money. That had to be exploited in his favor, because if he wanted to carry out his plan, he would need a lot of money.
"Sounds good to me, Mr. Black, I'll register him, well for 7 days he will stay at the Lupu inn" - Leonardo said, happy to have a new client and a very wealthy one. Usually the people who stayed only stayed one or two days at the most.
"Elena! Come, I need you here! "- shouted Leonardo
From a door, a young girl appeared, very beautiful for her age, maybe in her 20s, she was dressed like a farm girl, in a great humble dress.
"Yes father?" - asked the young woman
"Outside is Mr. Black's horse. Take the horse to the stable and feed him hay. " - Leonardo ordered his daughter
The girl walked out, followed by the stares of the men that she was still at the tables drinking.
"Very good Mr. Black, here, this is the key. The room is number 12. "- Leonardo said. - "In about 20 minutes you have prepared dinner, a stew of pork and carrots, my daughter will bring the food to you. "
"Excellent, I'll wait for it." - He said, pleased by the service of the inn.
Erron put 100 lei on the counter for the whiskey drink and went upstairs looking for his room. He walked down the hall to find room 12.
"This must be it." - Erron said when he saw the door with the number 12.
Erron unlocked the door, only to be greeted by a room that left much to be desired. It was apparently a simple room with a bed, a table and a chair. In addition to what appeared to be a bathroom with a toilet and shower in the back behind another door.
He went to the bathroom to wash his face, removed his mask, wiped the soot stains that he had in his eyes. The soot stains served him well in the desert and sunny places where sunlight affected his eyesight.
But now, those soot stains were no longer useful. He washed his face with the cold water, as he expected. He wiped his face with his blanket as there was no toilet paper in sight. He checked the shower and saw to his amazement how the hot water ran, however, he only found a single soap, apparently used by someone very hairy because the damn soap had strands of hair in it.
"Hell no" - Erron said disgustedly - "I'll get one tomorrow."
He closed the bathroom door and walked over to the bed, taking off his cloak. He too began to remove his armor pieces and lay them on the ground. He took off his hat and placed it on the bed. And finally, his backpack with his great treasures.
He felt lighter and more comfortable.
He heard a knock on the door. Erron remembered that Leonardo's daughter would bring food to his room. Erron was very hungry.
Erron proceeded to open the door very cautiously, the townspeople were still not trusted.
"Good evening Mr. Black, I am Elena. I brought you her food, sir "- the daughter said with better hospitality than her father. While she was holding a tray with a plate of hot and delicious smelling food, accompanied by a large glass of water.
"Thanks girl, I appreciate it" - said Erron as he smiled at the young girl as she received the tray of hot food.
"Sure, Mr. Black. I know you asked for food for breakfast and dinner to be brought to you. So I inform you that at 8 in the morning I prepare the food. So, if the door doesn't answer me, you are free to join the bar, of course, before 10 in the morning. "- The young woman explained to the man who was now holding a plate of pork and vegetable stew.
"Sure, girl. I wake up very early anyway. "- Erron said
"Very well, without anything else to say, I say goodbye, have a good night Mr. Black" - said the young woman
"Good night young lady." - Black said as the young woman left.
Erron closed the door and went to the table with the tray and put it there.
"With a full stomach, I will sleep more comfortable." - Erron Black said as he began to take the first bite.
"What strange and interesting products you have for me today, My Lady" - said the Duke as he looked at the chest with some firearms and pieces of tactical armor, being on the sofa made for him. - "I never believed that Lady Dimitrescu sold such unusual items."
"I only hope it is for the first and last time, I cannot allow such noisy objects to be in my castle, Duke" - Lady Dimitrescu said sitting on the other side of the room from her chair made for someone like her. She was accompanied by 2 maids.
The room they were in was the one designated by Lady Dimitrescu in her castle so that the Duke could accommodate her positions for sale. The room was very comfortable and warm.
"And tell me, My lady, where did this little arsenal come from?" - Asked the Duke as he inspected the objects.
"A group of unsavory outsiders broke into my castle a week ago, causing several damages to my property. In addition to harming my servants, 3 of them were killed and 2 seriously injured. "she said with contempt Lady Dimitrescu as she took a drag on the cigarette from her.
"It saddens me to hear that, My Lady." - Said the merchant upon hearing the Lady's words. - "I had heard of an attack on both you and Lord Heisenberg."
"Ughh. Yes, the brute also suffered losses, the repellent factory was raided by another group of outsiders. That group also suffered the same fate as those who invaded my property. That brute does not like visits to his factory." -Lady Dimitrescu she said as she smoked her cigarette.
"That reminds me, the bandits destroyed the order for Sanguinis Virginis, only a third of the production was saved. Mariana, could you? Lady Dimitrescu indicated as she pointed to one of her servants.
The maid nodded, as she took a second chest containing the expensive drink. She left it next to the duke who examined the contents of the chest. The duke's face showed a disappointed expression on his face.
"What a big problem, My Lady." - Said the merchant, thinking very well of his next words. "I'm afraid it's not just our only problem."
"What do you mean, Duke." - Asked Lady Dimitrescu
The Duke proceeded to find out a cardboard box. The box bore several import stamps, including one written in an oriental language that Dimitrescu did not know.
"You know well that his wine is very popular in the small circles of power around the world, My Lady. From the cardinals of Rome to the comrades of the Cuban revolution to the warlords of Africa. Her drink has been in the most demanding palates. From simpletons who waste their money on drinks to master tasters of good wines. " - Explained the merchant- "Its popularity and its unique way of elaboration have no competition … until now"
Lady Dimitrescu had listened to the words of the merchant, she knew well to whom he sold his drink, she was glad to know that the Spanish Royal Household drank his wine. Since then there have always been orders for the product. She was also amused by the idea of the saints and puritans of Rome drinking the wine. However, when the merchant spoke of the competition, the supreme smile turned into a frown.
"Excuse me, what do you mean? - "asked the Lady
"A week ago I was out of the region. I went to my residence in the capital where I do all my imports and exports, that's where I sent your wine, my Lady. "- Explained the merchant-" I received a box from far Japan, it seems that due to the power circles of this nation is around a drink far inferior to its wine. "- Said the merchant as he took out a bottle of wine from the box. The bottle was sealed and written entirely in Japanese, not a recognizable word or letter of the Latin alphabet was there.
He proceeded to hand it over to Mariana, who then passed it on to the Lady. Lady Dimitrescu inspected the bottle. It was smaller than the bottle in which she packed her wine. The bottle was tightly closed with a wooden cork. While the Lady was inspecting it, The Duke took out a piece of paper from the box.
"It is sent to me by a good customer of your product, my Lady." - Said the merchant as he proceeded to read...
"Dear Duke. For more than 15 years I have consumed the wonderful drink that you sell. Despite its great price, I consider it to be a fair price. However, something is happening in Japan, my good friend. A group of "amateurs" try to recreate the magical drink that only you sell. This drink is called "Kinboshi no hiyaku" or "Elixir of Venus", it is so restricted that it is only sold within Japan at half the price of yours. Idiots, the taste of this "national wine" is completely inferior and varies between bottles, not as uniform as the one you sell me. Anyway, I took the liberty of sending this letter and also a proof of what I say. I hope that despite this inferior competition, true good wine will prevail."
Duke finished reading the letter. He proceeded to look at Lady Dimitrescu, her beautiful, well-made-up face showing an anger held back by a simple smile.
"Mariana, Olga, continue the deal with the merchant. Have a good night, Duke. "- Lady Dimitrescu said as she left the room. Her steps have always been heavy due to her nature and the big heels, however it was clear that her steps were stronger and more fearsome than usual.
"Goodnight, My Lady." - Said the Duke.
