The Pinewood and Sleigh Knights are a rural knighthood in France. When Chen Xin originally asked autonomous cities to form the knighthood, several surrounding cities jointly funded the formation of the knighthood.
As for this somewhat nondescript name of the Knights, it comes from the specialties of several surrounding cities.
These cities are all located at the foothills of the Alps. They are small cities in the mountains. In the past, they mainly relied on tourists visiting the Alps and some agricultural and sideline products to maintain the city's financial revenue.
The local pine wood and sleds handmade from pine wood are considered to be one of the few local specialties. Therefore, when the knights were named, someone suggested using this name.
The number of people in this knighthood is not large. There are about twenty volunteers from several surrounding cities, who are considered the first batch of members of the knighthood.
They obtained a batch of decent equipment, plus some local specialty sleds from several surrounding cities, plus a few snowmobiles prepared by the members of the knights, and they became the knights. All belongings.
Because the surrounding cities are small and have a small population, and everyone knows each other and are even related to each other, the Knights actually do not have much task of maintaining law and order.
They mostly use the knights' few snowmobiles and sleds to help local residents transport some things, or to help local self-government agencies do some entrusted work, but these are not combat missions.
This seems better for the people of this knighthood. Many of them are just forest guards or ordinary local residents. They voluntarily join the knighthood because they want to do something for their hometown.
The lack of combat missions made them more comfortable. After all, no one liked fighting.
And if there is a real security problem in the local area, they will probably have to deal with their acquaintances.
Therefore, they were happy that every day they received jobs such as moving things or helping self-governing agencies repair and repair. Apart from going to the front line to pay blood tax, they had never even fired a gun.
But this is really not a problem for such a small place. Some young people with ideals even took the initiative to join them and became the new blood of the Knights.
With the recovery of industrial capacity in various European countries, the situation in each country is getting better. The small towns where the Knights are located have also benefited from this, and life has become much easier.
As a result, the Knights lived a much better life, and the group also acquired some new belongings.
For several surrounding small towns and knights, life like this can be said to be very good. If they didn't have to send people to pay the blood tax, they would even feel that this life was not much different from their previous lives.
That is to say, it's getting darker and colder, and although everyone's life is a little harder, they are now able to cope with it.
Originally, everyone thought that life would be like this in the future, but a piece of news spread after a group of members of the Knights returned after paying their blood tax.
"Did you know? Countries are preparing for a major counterattack, and everyone is starting to stockpile supplies! When we were on the front line, the army even tried to regain some lost territory in the salient!" The members of the Knights who had just returned from the front line took advantage of their vacation. , bragging about the gossip he heard in the local tavern.
In the past, the main industry of these small cities was various agricultural and sideline products, and wine making was naturally also available.
Although there was no sunshine after the disaster and the food production was horribly low, after the days became better, they still found a way to get something fermentable, and then brewed something that could barely be called wine.
For most old drunkards, this can only serve as a comfort, which is better than nothing, but it makes the pub prosperous again.
Everyone likes to come to the pub for a drink, chat with other people, and brag. It is one of the few entertainment activities nowadays.
So these members of the Knights who had just returned from the front naturally liked to come to the tavern and brag about their experiences on the battlefield.
But what they are bragging about this time is not the intimate dance with alien creatures, but the big news that countries plan to shift from defense to counterattack against alien creatures.
"Really, little Jimmy? Are they really going to fight back against those alien monsters?" An elderly man couldn't help but ask after hearing what the members of the Knights said.
That's the bad thing about a small town like this. Everyone knows each other. Maybe you meet an old man who attended your baptism when you were a child. He watched you being held by the priest, soaking your feet in cold water, and even peed in a pot. .
Compared to others knowing the dark history of his childhood, being called a nickname is no longer a big deal.
The member of the Knights named Little Jimmy put down his glass and said with confidence: "Of course it's true! When we were on the front line, we built several new ammunition depots for the army. They have already begun to stockpile ammunition, and Bob also participated in the counterattack, and a defensive line that was originally pushed out of the salient was pulled back by the army. I heard from him that he killed at least two hundred alien monsters! "
"Well done! Bob!" A member of the Knights named Bob was also in the tavern. Little Jimmy's bragging made everyone in the tavern cheer for him.
For those who stay at the rear, alien creatures are still a bit far away. After all, in a small city like theirs, under the current conditions, it is unlikely that people from the frontline occupied areas will come.
Therefore, the only knowledge they have about alien creatures is the oral accounts of the members of the Knights who went to the front line to pay the blood tax.
Bob raised his glass of wine and confirmed that what little Jimmy said was true.
However, even if it is confirmed that various countries are indeed preparing to counterattack, this kind of thing is still too far away from the residents of the small town. They just discuss it without any real feeling.
While their discussion was in full swing, a landspeeder was landing at the Knights' station.
The leader of the Knights and several important members stood in front of the land speeder, welcoming those who came off the ship.
It was a logistics officer who came. Every time the Knights paid the blood tax, the other party came to pick them up, and it was the same this time.
Due to some procedural reasons, picking up people to pay the blood tax and sending back those who have paid the blood tax are not carried out by the same land speeder, but by a ship full of people and sent to each knight group one by one or picked up one by one. .
"Pinewood and Sleigh Knights, there are 4 people in the blood tax this time, please get on the boat." The official checked the list in his hand, and then checked the members who came to pay the blood tax, and then let them get on the boat.
The captain of the knights watched them get on the ship and felt a little relieved. Paying the blood tax can be said to be the most important thing for the knights. If they can successfully get people on the ship, they will be halfway done.
However, there was still a little surprise this time, because the logistics officer handed a document to the group leader: "I believe you should have heard the news. Countries are preparing for counterattacks. All knights need to be prepared for specific requirements. You can look at the file." (End of chapter)