Women only affect my ability to spread the fire

Russell and the others could only say some empty words like condolences and sympathy.

"My name is Elda Heinrich. As my uncle's first heir, I'm here to host some of his friends. I hope you don't mind. This is such a large piece of land, and a weak woman like me simply doesn't have the confidence to manage it well."

Miss Heinrich sobbed and said that she would inherit her uncle's estate, and described the size of the land in her words.

There is no doubt that Miss Heinrich is implying that she is a small wealthy woman who now has her uncle's inheritance in her hands and that as long as he marries her, he can get this land.

When the names were announced, Elda Heinrich had no reaction to Margaret's last name, Wallhausen, and acted like a naive little girl.

"Mr. Russell, may I be so presumptuous as to ask you to stay? My uncle was murdered by a treacherous servant, and I am left alone in this manor. I feel horrible!"

Elda Heinrich said with a pale face.

"I don't know who I can trust and who I can't. I wonder if another servant is trying to murder me! Could you, a man of noble blood and character, please stay? I need your protection!"

Elda Heinrich pleaded pitifully for the man's protection.

After hearing the name of the Walhausen family, Elda changed her strategy and never mentioned the land again.

There was no doubt that a small knight territory could not compare to the chief knight family that protected the Kingdom of Usedom.

Miss Heinrich began to act pitiful, trying to arouse Russell's protectiveness.

Although this was in a distant world and the drink served on the table was beer, Russell still smelled the fragrance of green tea.

Rosalyn was very simple-minded. Her sympathy prevailed. She looked at Russell and begged him to stay and protect the "poor" Miss Heinrich.

Russell looked at Margaret, and Margaret seemed to be urging Russell to stay.

Considering that all of Miss Heinrich's topics revolved around weddings and funerals, she didn't say any useful information. When asked about Cannos, she even shook her head to indicate that she had never heard of this place.

Russell regarded Miss Heinrich as an aristocratic girl with little knowledge and only scheming, and he actually didn't really want to stay.

Russell wanted to find out the location of Cannos as soon as possible and return to her hometown with Margaret as soon as possible.

Just as the absent-minded Russell was about to say goodbye, Miss Heinrich seemed to understand what he meant and added, "I've already sent a confidant to send a distress signal to the Knights of Gritzburg. The knights will be here soon. You just need to protect me until then."

Waiting for the Knights to arrive here and then inquire about the news is indeed a feasible solution - the farmers here are afraid to talk to Russell and have little knowledge, and this noble lady is also not very knowledgeable, so it is indeed difficult to find someone more knowledgeable.

So Russell finally nodded and said, "Okay, then let's stay here and wait until the Knights arrive."

After realizing that Russell had no interest in her, Elda Heinrich behaved much more dignifiedly: "Thank you so much, thank you for helping me in difficult times. I, Elda Heinrich, will never forget your kindness. I will arrange the best guest rooms for you all."

At this moment, there was a noise outside the house.

100 First Interrogation

It turned out that the "evil slave who attacked Master Heinrich", that is, the old shepherd, was captured and brought back - to be exact, he couldn't walk at all, and was carried to Heinrich's manor by many hands.

"I beg you, Lord Russell, to join me in trying this wicked slave and bring justice to my uncle!" Elda's eyes were filled with tears.

Russell didn't know for a moment whether the honest man was bullied and finally got angry, or the honest man was slandered, but he still nodded.

When Russell inquired about how Adrian Heinrich died, he heard some details that made him laugh and cry.

When this great knight was found, his mouth and nose were filled with cow dung and he looked like he had suffocated to death.

Although such a death was disgraceful, Elda Heinrich wanted to keep the news secret. However, because the knight's death was too bizarre, it quickly spread like wildfire and became popular throughout Meldorf.

"Have you heard? Old Ernst was bullied by Master Heinrich. He was beaten until his head was bloody and he went mad. Then he pushed Master Heinrich's head into a pile of cow dung and drowned him alive!"

"Wow, really? I was wondering why old Ernst had a bloody head today, and I even brought him an egg!"

The villagers of Meldorf never expected that there would be such a big fun today. There were three fun events in just one day. Today is indeed Meldorf's carnival.

As for what to do next after the lord's death, it won't be worse than when Adrian Heinrich was around, and the villagers obviously don't care about this little thing.

Obviously, the villagers all believed that the honest old Ernst would not have attacked Adrian Heinrich on his own initiative, but they also did not doubt the possibility that old Ernst had committed murder.

As outsiders, Russell and his three companions were probably the least informed people in the entire Meldorf. They were probably the last people in Meldorf to know how Adrian Heinrich died.

Russell used a lot of effort to restrain himself and smiled rudely: "We are very sympathetic to the plight of Knight Adrian Heinrich."

"That's right!"

"Extremely sympathetic!"

Margaret and Rosalyn echoed.

"We also understand your situation, Miss Heinrich." Russell continued to speak high-sounding nonsense to relieve his desire to laugh.

"really!"

“I totally understand!”

Margaret and Rosalyn nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry, I will interrogate Shepherd Ernst meticulously." Russell promised.

"It should!"

“Meticulous!”

Margaret bit her golden braid, and Rosalyn lowered her head and gently covered her mouth with her hand.

So Russell was arranged to sit at the chief seat of the interrogation. As the head of the family, Elda Heinrich insisted on following her character of the pitiful and weak little white flower of the victim's family, and handed the chief judge to Russell.

However, it was impossible to conduct the interrogation of old Ernst. He had a fever and was mumbling nonsense about God, the Mother of God, and angels. It was impossible to get anything useful out of him.

The butler and the servants all agreed that it didn't matter whether he admitted it or not, because he must be a vicious murderer.

And their arguments were very convincing: a cattle herder actually dared to murder a knight. If he was not extremely cruel, who would be?

Mark, the adopted son of a person involved, was allowed to listen to the interrogation, but he insisted that his father could not have been involved in the murder.

Although Mark still believed that "Master Russell" and "Master Heinrich" must be in cahoots, he still had the nerve to come out and defend his father.

At this time, Mark was no longer as rebellious as before. He knelt down and kowtowed to Russell, then respectfully cried out for justice.

"Master, Master Russell, wise Master Russell. Father woke up for a while after returning home. He told me what happened to him. He was wronged. It was not Father who killed Master Heinrich, Master."

The words "master" and "father" were like tongue twisters. Mark stumbled over them for a long time, causing some people to sneer.

Mark's face flushed red, and he felt his skin burning, but he ignored the ridicule and continued speaking in his father's leaky accent, saying that those were his father's original words.

"Mark, don't think about revenge. It was Master Heinrich who hit me on the head! I was hit on the back of the head first, which made me dizzy and then Master Heinrich kicked me hard, asking me to be quiet."

"Master Heinrich gave me such a beating that I was knocked unconscious among the rocks. My bones felt like they were falling apart, and there was no part of me that didn't hurt."

"But I can't remember anything after that. I just fell asleep, and when I woke up I was lying in my bed at home, with you by my side... Don't think about revenge, ah, don't think about revenge."

After learning what old Ernst said, Mark emphasized that many villagers also heard what old Ernst said.

Finally, Mark added with red eyes, "Respected Master Russell, I implore you to think carefully about this. Even if Dad woke up from his coma, he would have told me not to retaliate against Master Heinrich. How could he have the guts to attack or even kill Master Heinrich?"

A servant interjected, "Perhaps he knows he killed Master Heinrich, so he doesn't need your revenge."

Russell shook his head. "Someone, get a doctor to treat Ernst. At least get him to speak soberly. Other people's accounts have to be discounted. Let's stop here for now. Once he's sober, we'll continue the trial. This is also for the reputation of the Heinrich family!"

Now that Heinrich's reputation was at stake, the servants had nothing more to say.

Originally, they thought that they could just throw old Ernst into the dungeon and be done with it. But looking at old Ernst's condition, he would die in the dungeon after two or three days at most.

Now they had to find a doctor for old Ernst and treat his injuries, and the servants were very reluctant.

Elda was much more knowledgeable than the servants. She knew the legal difference between a public execution and a private punishment of letting her "enemy" die in the dungeon. In the countryside, the difference might not be big, but in the "civilized" Gritzburg, it was two completely different things.

As an heiress, Elda's legitimacy is particularly important. This directly affects whether she can marry into a high-class family, and also has a considerable impact on her family status after marriage.

Therefore, Elda Heinrich was very grateful for Russell's arrangement. She acted like a lady boss and ordered the butler to do as Russell said.

Mark was a simple-minded young man. When he saw Russell arrange for someone to treat his father's injury, he was very grateful to Russell.

At the same time, Mark felt ashamed of his previous malicious speculation about Russell.

This Mr. Russell from Gritzburg is really a good man! I wonder if Dad can successfully clear his name... I can't stay at Heinrich's house anymore. Maybe Mr. Russell needs someone to herd cattle in Gritzburg too!

In Mark's simple worldview, the big city is Gritzburg, and Gritzburg is the big city. He doesn't know that there may be more than one big city in the world.

Since Dad said Russell was a sir from the big city, he must be from Gritzburg.

With worry about his father and longing for the future in his heart, Mark returned to his dilapidated home.

On the other hand, Rosalyn, who had returned to the guest room, asked curiously, "Russell, Russell, do you think Mr. Ernst was wronged? He must have been wronged! He's so pitiful!"

Russell realized that Rosaline was quite soft-hearted and full of sympathy.

Rosalyn's views often reflected those of the last person she spoke to. Previously, she had sympathized with the "weak" Miss Elda, but now she was leaning towards the old herdsman, Ernst.

"I don't know." Russell looked at Rosaline's eager eyes and shook his head.

"You don't know? How could you not know?" Rosalyn said angrily, "Mr. Ernst is so pitiful! He was beaten so badly!"

"You're so easily swayed by your emotions that you'd be perfect for serving on a jury in the United States." Russell said something Rosalyn couldn't understand before explaining, "Whether or not old Ernst killed Adrian Heinrich depends on the evidence, not on who we sympathize with."

The author says:

Author's words: Thanks for the tips and coins without a nickname

Thanks to Bloodthirsty Bronze Bull for the reward and coins

101 What I Saw in the Cowshed

Since Russell mentioned the evidence, the sympathetic Rosaline excitedly dragged Russell and Margaret to find evidence. She seemed to want to clear the old shepherd Ernst's charges wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, Margaret is a naturalist rather than a criminal investigator, Rosalyn is a magician rather than a forensic doctor, and Russell, the time traveler, is completely in the dark. They simply have no ability to distinguish evidence from clues.

What's more, Adrian Heinrich died in a cattle pen, where livestock were kept.

Adrian's life stopped forever at the moment when fate arrived, but the scene of his death continued to be killed and destroyed.

When Russell and his party arrived at the cattle pen, there were still servants and villagers watching enthusiastically.

It can be seen that people generally despise Elda Heinrich. In fact, the power of the upper class comes from the lower class. If she cannot command the lower class, her power is just an empty name.

Now that people despised Elda Heinrich, they no longer respected the rules of the Knights.

They gathered around the cattle pen, pointing and talking to each other, telling crude jokes and occasionally bursting into laughter, as if the drought could not bring the slightest sadness to their faces.

No, it's more like the drought forced them to laugh and keep looking for fun. If life is really full of suffering, it would be difficult for people to survive without trying to stay optimistic.

This survival philosophy, as stubborn as a rock or weed, made them laugh heartily. Even the arrival of Russell and other "foreign gentlemen" in the cowshed could not spoil their spirits or dampen their laughter in the slightest.

Amidst the laughter, the cow had a stroke of luck. In the chaos left by Master Heinrich's ridiculous death, no one thought to take her calf away.

It licked its calf leisurely and fed it calmly. The calf greedily bit several nipples and sucked them with big mouthfuls.

"These beasts eat better than us! Ah? Hahaha!" A farmer clapped his hands and laughed, triggering a new round of laughter.

"How rude and lowly." Elda Heinrich's maid heard these words and the harsh laughter from a distance and cursed in a low voice.

She had no idea what was so funny about it and could only attribute it to the vulgarity of the "untouchables".

Elda didn't express her opinion, but her expression clearly showed her approval.

In any case, the onlookers, along with the lucky cow, destroyed the scene completely, removing almost all possible traces.

Even the most experienced and professional criminal police would find it difficult to find any clues from such a scene, let alone Russell and others who are complete laymen in criminal investigation.

As for the people who discovered the scene, they were imprisoned separately by Russell, but what they said was consistent and the details also matched.

Because of Russell's visit, they were sent by the housekeeper to look for Adrian Heinrich. They searched almost everywhere in the house, and finally came to the cowshed by accident and found Adrian's body.

Now it seems that the only suspect left is old Ernst.

Margaret's father might be able to call out the name of a low-ranking knight from the countryside like Heinrich, but it was the first time Margaret knew about the existence of such a knight family, so she could not help much.

"Couldn't Mr. Adrian Heinrich have died suddenly? Do we have to say that Mr. Ernst murdered him?" Rosalyn still refused to give up.

"If you want to exonerate Mr. Ernst, you need evidence. Now there are no witnesses, and no evidence that can help him clear his name. We have to work hard to find it." Russell comforted Rosaline.

In fact, although Russell tended to believe that old Ernst was not the murderer, he was unable to determine the truth of the matter at the moment.

Furthermore, in the era of lords and serfs, there was no such thing as the presumption of innocence. Everyone thought you had killed the lord. You wanted to prove your innocence? You had to figure it out yourself!

Furthermore, even if there was evidence to clear old Ernst of his charges, it would be of no use.

If the judgment cannot favor the lord's opinion, then the judgment will be difficult to establish. If the feudal law does not protect the lord, how can it protect the serfs?

Looking at Rosaline who remained innocent, Russell did not say these words.

In Margaret's view, the key is not whether old Ernst killed Adrian Heinrich, but how to persuade Elda to give up pursuing old Ernst.

This is not easy. As an heiress with few direct descendants, Elda must "avenge" her uncle to prove her legitimacy and toughness.