Wizard Earl

"This damn weather, it's getting colder and colder..."

At 1:30 a.m. in Frosinone, at a guard post in a warehouse in the Benatia neighborhood, Martinez, a night watchman from the Marat Security Company, rubbed his receding hairline and said to his companion Gagliardini with a sigh:

Hearing Martinez's remark, Gagliardini, who had a slight limp in his right leg, glanced warily around the sentry post before replying, "If you're feeling cold, go buy a new pair of cotton trousers after you get paid this month. You've been wearing these ever since I've known you. If you keep doing this, your rheumatism is going to flare up!"

To Gagliardini's suggestion, the short, stout Martinez, who resembled a dwarf, shook his head and said, "I'd like a new pair of cotton trousers, but unfortunately, our boss, Sodir, that stingy old man, only pays me two shillings and ten pence a month. That's barely enough to feed my family of five. Where would I find the spare money to buy new cotton trousers?"

After saying this, Martinez sighed, then grabbed the wine jug beside him and took a big gulp to warm himself up.

Sensing the slightly pungent aroma emanating from the flask, Gagliardini knew for a second that his partner was definitely consuming "Heg" once again.

"Heg" means "green spring" in the Kaman language and is a specialty of Frosinone. Because it is inexpensive and can warm you up with just a sip, it is very popular among the lower and middle-class workers and farmers in Frosinone. Although Heg has a nice name and is very popular, it sells very well in Frosinone.

But in essence, it is just industrial alcohol diluted with water and some cheap flavorings. Every year, dozens of alcoholics in Frosinone lose their lives because of drinking it, but this still cannot stop the workers and farmers with meager incomes from loving it.

So when Gagliardini saw Martinez drinking hege, his first instinct was to remind him that such drinking was very harmful to his health. However, he opened his mouth but couldn't say anything, and finally could only shake his head helplessly. Given Martinez's financial situation, he couldn't afford much alcohol besides hege. And without hege to warm himself, Martinez, wearing his already worn-out cotton clothes, would likely find it even more unbearable in this drafty sentry post…

After taking a bite of heger, Martinez felt his almost frozen body warm up again, and he regained his energy. He seemed to remember something, and in a low, somewhat mysterious voice, he asked Gagliardini, "Do you know what's in here?"

Upon hearing Martinez's question, Gagliardini didn't think much of it, simply shaking his head and saying, "I don't know, they didn't say anything, but it's probably some kind of timber or something. What does it matter? We're just here on guard to keep thieves out. Whether the warehouse contains gold or dirt, it's none of our business!"

Martinez scoffed at Gagliardini's words, then continued in a low voice, "I heard that a few days ago, a warehouse in the Andri neighborhood was burgled. Apparently, a full five hundred sets of ceramic ware were stolen. How much do you think that's worth?"

Seemingly sensing something amiss in Martinez's words, Gagliardini glanced at him and then warned, "Let me tell you, don't get any bad ideas. The bodies of those three people who were hanged were just recovered last month after their trial!"

"Gagliardini, you bastard, what are you saying? Do you think I, Martinez, am that kind of person?" Gagliardini's words seemed to have hit Martinez's sore spot, and Martinez immediately retorted angrily.

After saying that, Martinez changed the subject, thought for a moment, and continued, "Although I won't collude with those gangs, if they really come, that old miser Solti shouldn't expect me to work for him for his two shillings and ten pence. I have a wife and children; they're counting on me to work and support them..."

"Click!"

Just as Martinez finished speaking, a sharp sound suddenly came from outside the sentry post, which immediately caught the attention of Martinez and Gagliardini inside.

Upon hearing the sudden noise, Martinez, who had just said he wouldn't risk his life for two shillings and ten pence, showed a hint of fear on his chubby face. Then, very decisively, he nimbly hid under the sentry table, trying to avoid seeing it.

Although Martinez was such a coward, his companion Gagliardini, though somewhat lame and not very mobile, was very brave. He looked back at Martinez, who was trembling under the table, and knew that he could not rely on him. He then picked up the kerosene lamp in the sentry post and carefully walked out of the post to see what was going on.

Before he had taken two steps from his post, Martinez felt a dark shadow flash by. Before he could react, a sharp blade was pressed against his lower back. Gagliardini hesitated for a moment, but wisely chose not to resist and raised his hands in surrender.

"Let's go back!"

A deep voice rang in Gagliardini's ears; it was the thug who had taken him hostage, giving him the order:

It was this command that allowed Gagliardini to vaguely see some details about the person who had kidnapped him. The man was tall, about 1.85 meters, and had a strong build. Although his face was obscured by the mask, one could imagine that he must be a ruthless person.

Just as Gagliardini was trying to observe other information about the bandits, the bandit who had taken him hostage, seeing that his orders had not been carried out by Gagliardini, did not show him any mercy and punched Gagliardini hard in the back. Gagliardini did not even have time to cry out before he was knocked unconscious.

After knocking Gagliardini unconscious, the masked thug threw the unconscious Gagliardini into the sentry post. Seeing the unconscious Gagliardini thrown in, Martinez, hiding under the table, was terrified and cried out, "Don't kill me..."