After the group settled down, Xiao Chen took Silla, Roger and Evelyn around the town.
This town is a very typical kingdom town. Most of the houses are small and old, and people dress very simply. There are not many shops in the town, only a few small shops run by millers, bakers, tailors and the like. In addition, there is a tavern and two hotels.
"I have now visited many villages in the kingdom. I found that Floro Town is really a wealthy place." Xiao Chen took a look inside the bakery, which mainly served unappetizing black bread.
"Of course, in the past few years, Floro was like a forgotten place. Except for Count Carlos's tax collectors who occasionally came, basically no one cared about it. And most of the time, the tax collectors couldn't collect much tax. If Baron Cloto here also let this town go for twenty years, it would be like Floro." Xiro said.
Xiao Chen saw two people dressed as businessmen walking into the tavern, so he said, "Let's go sit in the tavern, maybe there will be some news."
This pub is not big, but it is divided into two floors. The upper floor is only half the size of the first floor, and the rest of the area is the open space at the entrance.
The second floor was cleaner, with some small tables, obviously prepared for the merchants who came here. Downstairs were long tables and benches, where seven or eight farmers and craftsmen from the workshops drank beer mixed with water. They were very loud, and when they laughed, they knocked on their glasses and slapped the tables.
Xiao Chen and his companions walked upstairs and sat down along the railing on the second floor. From this position, they could hear the noise from the people downstairs as well as the discussions from the people on the second floor.
Green Pine Town is naturally famous for its pine trees. There is a local specialty called pine wine, which is brewed with pine nuts, wheat and several other fruits. Xiao Chen ordered a few glasses. Although it was a bit sour, it had a hint of pine fragrance. Even if this kind of wine is not presentable, it has a unique flavor.
"Evelyn, I wonder if you are used to places like this." Xiao Chen smelled a mixture of sweat and alcohol in the air, and felt that the picky elves might have some opinions.
"I'm fine." The dark elf drank a few sips of pine wine, and his gray face actually turned red. "At least it's much more spacious here than underground, isn't it?"
"It seems that the dark elves and the high elves look at problems differently." Xiao Chen was sure that if it were Elena, she would definitely not like this noisy and chaotic place.
"How can a tuber planted in the ground be the same as a fruit grown on a tree?" Evelyn's question made sense.
The four people stayed upstairs for a while, but did not hear any valuable information from the farmers and craftsmen downstairs. All they said was complaining about the high taxes, too many duties, the bad harvest and the difficulty in supporting their families.
However, the two businessmen sitting on the second floor revealed some very interesting information in their conversation.
"... As soon as Baron O'Farrell died, his eldest son Matos was granted his father's baron title by the Duke of Greenwood City. When I left Greenwood City a few days ago, this baron who lost his fiefdom was jumping up and down and hiring mercenaries." said a businessman.
"It's useless. How can he take back his territory by himself?" Another merchant whispered, "You don't know how easily the people from the Chinese Tower attacked the Baron's mansion. The fortress was captured by the Chinese in less than one night."
"The Chinese are powerful, but do you think Matos is just one person? He is just a banner placed in front of the Duke. Behind the scenes, many territories under his control have started to move. After all, the Duke of Greenwood City is the most powerful force in the west of the kingdom. It is not easy for the Chinese to fight him."
"Alas, these wizards and lords are fighting each other. They can destroy a village in a random battle. We are the ones who are unlucky."
"At least we still have a chance to run, but those townspeople and farmers really can't do anything."
Xiao Chen listened carefully for a long time and roughly understood the current situation. He said, "It seems that Chen Hansheng and his team have done more thoroughly than planned and have completely controlled Arano. This is a good thing, but it also makes Green Forest City an enemy. We must be more careful here."
"Sir, what should we do next?" Xi Luo asked.
"It sounds like these people are not optimistic about our confrontation with the Duke? Then we'd better take this opportunity to find out what strength the Duke has. If we can disrupt his plan to send troops, that would be even better." Xiao Chen thought for a while, then looked up and asked Roger, "How do you think we can stop the Duke from sending troops?"
"It is a very complicated process for a noble lord to send out troops. He needs to mobilize vassals from various territories. These people need to recruit soldiers, prepare weapons, and stockpile food. If we disrupt any of the links in the middle, he will not be able to send out troops normally."
"Although I am not familiar with the human political model, I think if we can kill the Duke himself, or kill that guy named Matos, it will definitely be able to delay the occurrence of the battle." The dark elf ranger obviously prefers a direct solution.
"Yes, that's right!" Xiao Chen nodded, "These are all methods, but they require a team to execute them."
Roger understood what Xiao Chen was thinking best. He stopped him and said, "Sir, your idea is too dangerous. We don't need to take risks here."
Xiao Chen smiled, "Roger knows me well. Yes, I am considering forming a team to carry out sabotage behind enemy lines. In my hometown, there is a fighting style called guerrilla warfare. We lurk behind enemy lines and destroy their logistics. Perhaps the enemy will be overwhelmed and find it difficult to organize an effective attack. There are three high-level warriors in our team. It's scary to think about three high-level warriors hiding behind enemy lines."
"If you want to participate in the Duke's battle, why don't we return to Alano Town and join Chen Hansheng's team? That way you can still play a big role, but you can avoid taking these risks."
Xiao Chen shook his head and said, "If we give up this opportunity and leave the Duke's territory, and let him build up the team safely, the threats we will encounter in Arano will be much greater, and our losses will be much greater. Roger, if you make the choice, if you take more risks, you can greatly reduce the possibility of your companions being sacrificed. Will you do it?"
Roger took a deep breath and said, "Yes!"
"That's all. I know you feel your mission is to protect me, but I need comrades on the battlefield more than bodyguards in the Mage Tower."
At this time, a bell rang outside. The townspeople downstairs sighed when they heard the sound, and several of them complained:
"Why is the bell ringing today? Is it the messenger?"
"It's definitely not good news. The last time the Baron rang the bell, it was to collect war taxes."
The owner of the tavern said loudly, "Well, the sound of the bell is always a big deal. Be careful not to be like what happened to Old Ander last time. He didn't go, but the tax was imposed on him."
The boss walked up the stairs and said, "Sir, the Baron wants everyone to go to the center of the village. He has something to announce. The store will be closed temporarily."
"Let's go and listen. Maybe there will be something interesting." Xiao Chen said.