Act 40: Two Letters V

Under Dawn's guidance, Brando and the other two stepped into his family's estate over damp pine needles. Old Scott's mill stood beside the Bucci River, shrouded by a lush pine forest. However, at this time of year, the pine needles had already turned a faint brownish yellow. Through the trees, they could vaguely see a wooden-and-stone water mill. One-third of its enormous wheel was submerged in the Bucci River, turning slowly and sending up white splashes. The Bucci River ran swiftly but was crystal clear; from the surface, one could see the riverbed paved with fine pebbles.

In Brando's memories, this was only one corner of the estate. There were several houses deeper in the woods, a warehouse behind them, and fields beyond that. At the far end of the fields lay an endless stretch of dense forest—the Stag Forest south of Brags. This land was filled with his childhood memories. He did not even need to deliberately recall them; the scenes surfaced automatically in his mind.

Dawn chattered all the way about what had happened in Brags over the past two years. He was the estate's old servant, though he could also be called a farmhand. In a small estate like this, the distinctions between statuses were not so precise. Brando only knew that, even before he was born, Dawn had been working at the estate since his grandfather's time. He also had a wife named Norsha, who served as the estate's cook. Brando had called her Aunt Norsha since he was little. There were several other servant families at the estate, all in much the same situation.

Brando deliberately took a close look at this man, whom he had known for nearly twenty years. Dawn was still just as he remembered him, nagging like a woman and earnestly