Under the light of the stars and the moon in the sky, the elite desert bandits dispersed, picked up some dead wood and weeds in the wilderness outside the village, lit them as firewood, and set up several bonfires among the tents in the camp.
At night, the temperature in Dongjun Territory was slightly lower. Although it was not as cold as the Nalun Desert, it still had a chill.
Dongjun Territory used to be called Dongjun. It was originally the capital of Dongjun City, and it used to be Dongjun City.
The meaning comes from the cold air in the south. Every year, there are occasional snowflakes and cold rains. Even slightly larger hailstones can be seen several times in several years. It is the only county in the Principality of Lions that can see an obvious cold winter.
The reason why Dongjun was renamed Dongjun.
It was because of Kant's aunt, Countess Agatha who was awarded the title here.
Because of a discord with Cameron, the Lion King, after she was granted the title of Fengdong County, Countess Agatha directly changed the name of the county, changing the winter county located in the west to the East County directly. There is no homonym, only deep estrangement.
It means that the former leader of Dongjun has nothing to do with the Principality of Lions.
The fact remains.
ten years.
Countess Agatha polished the East County collar as firmly as an iron barrel.
Not to mention that Cameron the Lion can't reach in, even the nobles of other counties can't get any communication and contact with the East County through the official.
If there is communication, you can only use the caravan to handle affairs, which is extremely troublesome.
It's almost semi-independent!
But there is nothing to do, or to say that there is no way.
The official of the Principality of Lions, that is, Grand Duke Cameron, had no time to gather the support of all the top nobles due to the hasty succession. This was also the reliance on Countess Agatha, who was released to the outside world, to separate the county leaders.
In the feudal era, the support from the nobles was still very important to the rulers.
The aristocracy is the foundation of the feudal state.
Especially the nobles of the Western European system are the mainstay of the country!
As for civilians.
They are just ants who are vassals begging for a living at the feet of the nobles.
On the battlefield, they are just used as cannon fodder, a living target for the nobles to defend against arrows, and half servants of the foreign generation who plow the fields, herd, hunt and pay taxes for the nobles!
Inside the Lion Principality, nobles are everything!
Actually.
Not just the East County collar.
And the North County collar of Viscount Wayne.
Ten years ago, if Cameron hadn't made a decisive decision to take advantage of the North County Territory being invaded by jackals and lead the troops directly northward to show the threat of force, it is estimated that even the North County Territory would have been semi-independent like the current East County Territory.
And even now, Viscount Kevin of the North County Territory is still being used as a nail in the North County Territory as a threat to the royal family.
From this, we can see the contradictions and discord within the Lion Principality.
The struggle for power.
A dispute between the king and the nobles.
Kant is still helpless about this, this kind of struggle has nothing to do with him, but it is also related.
The current Kant belongs to the top aristocrats. He is a powerful and powerful group among the aristocrats. He has soldiers and money in his hands.
It would be even more interesting if someone from Lion Castle came and asked Kant to pay taxes or provide financial assistance.
According to the rules, Kant does have this obligation.
Just different initially.
He is exiled.
Then get boosted to rise while in exile.
As a baron, the manager on top is nominally Viscount Wayne of the Northshire Territory.
But because of the royal blood, he is the second son of the Grand Duke Cameron, and has the right to inherit the Grand Duke. Even the mere Viscount Wayne can't really treat Kant as a vassal.
What's more, Kant's Nalun Desert is not divided into ownership on the official map of the Lion Principality.
Viscount Wayne was only allowed to take care of it when it was close to the North County Territory.
Escrow is also just a situation.
No one cares about the former forbidden zone of civilization and the racial desert.
Even if it is known that there is a sentry oasis in the Nalun Desert that can live, it is not directly proportional to the reclamation and return, and no one really cares who owns the Nalun Desert.
Even before Kant went to the Nalun Desert, official scholars did not recognize this as the territory of the Lion Principality.
The map also shows that it is no man's land.
Pure desert!
This embarrassingly led to Kant having no actual superiors at all.
Or Grand Duke Cameron who canonized Kant himself, but as a grand duke and Kant's father, if he is a real nobleman, he should at least be a viscount. The title of a baron is really too low.
It is completely the bottom title of the nobility.
"Ah."
Kant stood on the grain drying field with a calm expression.
He is not interested in the rank of the title, in fact he is not interested in the so-called grand duke position, it is true that he can live a stable life in this world, relying on the riding and hacking system to live better is his pursuit .
The night is getting darker, and the stars and the moon have released all their light.
Torches were also burning on the ground.
The fragrance permeates.
It is the fragrance of baked bread, plus the aroma of air-dried meat, sausage and smoked fish.
Kant and his cavalry trekked all afternoon and only ate at noon. As the evening deepened, they were already so hungry that their chests were pressed against their backs, and they lit up a bonfire to prepare dinner.
But even though they were cold, tired and hungry, these cavalrymen did not forget to take care of their personal horses.
This is the partner I rely on to cooperate on the battlefield.
Can see as brothers.
The simple food trough and water tank are spliced together, and the best wheat grains mixed with chickpeas and alfalfa are poured into it, and moistened with clean water, which is the best food, which can quickly replenish the physical strength of the war horse.
It's all thanks to "Aaron" Urban Farming.
The terraced fields outside the city have already flourished.
For example, wheat fields are all common crops, and crops such as chickpeas, cabbage, and pumpkins have already been planted. With the suitable climate and good irrigation in the Sanwaya Mountains, they will bring rich harvests.
And take the wheat field as an example, it doesn't only ripen once a year, but two to three times a year!
The land inside the Sanwaya Mountains is very fertile.
Just like the black earth.
There is also the temperature of the Nalun Desert, plus the slight chill at the bottom of the mountain, which is just neutralized at the surface.
Plus the power of the rules of the system, it makes the construction of agriculture easier. The entire "Aaron" city is currently entering into the development of agriculture, which is why farmers are so keen on land reclamation.
With the development of agriculture, the food for livestock is even better, sometimes no less than that of ordinary people.
Good feed can breed good war horses.
This truth is quite agreeable to the riders of the Sultanate of Sarande.
Of course, excellent training and breeding must be added, otherwise, even if they eat high-quality feed, those rough horses or draft horses will still not be able to become war horses.
After feeding feed and water, the bread and meat baked by the campfire are also hot.
Charred on the outside and tender on the inside.
Sprinkle some salt and spices, the taste is full of taste.
When Kant ate it in his mouth, he didn't think it was crude, on the contrary, he felt like eating barbecue in his previous life.
Without avoiding suspicion, I dined with Rolf and the accompanying Sarion Lion Knights, chatted about what I had seen along the way, occasionally chuckled, and the bonfire reflected a little more lively feeling.
Entering the East County Territory, close to Fort Aviles, the trek this time is more than half.
It is not far from Dongjun City in the south.
Although the road is rough, for this group of cavalry who are all riding horses, the journey is only 2 days away.
are talking.
In the village where the torches were also lit, the atmosphere was very solemn.
The elderly village chief was discussing with the fat finance officer and the burly sheriff in the house, all of them were frowning and their faces were very ugly.
At that time, he was greedy for silver coins, but now he is afraid.
It's really dangerous.
The grain drying field is just a short distance from the village.
If these mercenaries who are as fierce as gangsters start to make a fuss, the militias in their villages, even if all the people add up, they probably won't be opponents. If there is an accident, it may be a bloodbath.
A bloody purge, looting and massacre of the entire village, the last fire burned to ashes.
Although close to Fort Aviles.
But it's also close.
If something goes wrong, it will take time for the troops in the castle to come over.
And after these cavalrymen looted and massacred, they could leave in a flash after setting fire to them, and they left the East County Territory in the dark, and it is estimated that there would be no chance for them to take revenge.
The troops of the East Commandery will not leave their territory, let alone go to the North and South Commanderies.
"what to do."
The place where the financial officer regrets is almost green.
He is the financial officer, who controls all taxes and finances in the village. He seems to be a low-level gentry attached to Fort Aviles, but with the help of the caravans around the village, he can get a lot of money on weekdays.
Without the current village, he would not be able to enjoy the glory and wealth he once had!
"I gave all the silver coins."
Undoubtedly, the magistrate had some insight, so he calmed down and said, "Can you drive those guys away?"
The village head also sighed softly: "Be careful."
It was all right.
If they really went to drive those mercenaries away, if there was a quarrel, or even a fight, then it would be a big trouble.
Don't deal with the matter, on the contrary, they provoked bigger things, and even the worst ending, which made them shudder when they thought about it, and they were even more ashamed and angry at their greedy heart at that time.
But now is not the time to blame each other.
The village chief is obviously old and knowledgeable: "Why don't you report to the castle."
"report?"
The sheriff and the treasurer frowned.
"Um."
The old village head nodded: "This is not a trivial matter. Since we are here, don't we have the right to report the affairs here to the lord? Now more than 500 cavalry are passing through the border, and they are still mercenaries. If they want to find some work, why don't we borrow it?" Report to the castle for this reason."
After a pause, the old village chief said in a deep voice: "If something happens at that time, the castle can organize troops to come to rescue as soon as possible. It would be even better if we can come to check their identities."
"Okay, great idea!"
The sheriff and the treasurer nodded.
This is indeed a good idea.
Soon, in the village, several capable militiamen quietly led the horses and left under the cover of night.
He didn't dare to gallop his horse casually, instead, he followed the remote path carefully, and after a long distance, he came to the road to Aviles Castle. He whipped the horse under his crotch with a whip to make him go faster point.
They can bring the hope of the village and the safety of the whole family.
Fort Aviles is not far away.
It only takes two or three hours to ride a horse.
At this time, the 5 of them rode their horses faster, and the stars were bright in the night, and they arrived at the castle in 2 hours.
The torches on the city wall were lit, and the elite guards in chain mail were patrolling. They didn't panic when they saw someone galloping towards them on horseback in the night.
Fort Aviles has been at peace for a long time, not to mention the enemy army, even robbers and bandits are pitifully few.
Not to mention the attackers.
This group of well-trained elite guards were on guard.
There was a helpless expression on their faces. To be honest, for them, they really wanted to have some fun by fighting.
However, the defense of the castle still needs to be vigilant. Viscount Gibran is not a benevolent lord. Although he is a little older, the majesty he left on the battlefield is getting stronger.
Thinking of this, the elite guards of the castle all pruned up and came to the city gate with their weapons in hand.
"stop!"
The leading elite guard shouted: "This is Fort Aviles, the castle of Viscount Gibran. Travelers who come here must reveal your identity if they want to get close, otherwise we will attack!"
His words are certainly not a joke.
A team of cavalry who greeted them was also a well-trained knight attendant.
Each of them had already picked up the long swords and spears in their hands, and looked at the five panting guys on the horse with vigilance, looked at each other, and lowered the weapons in their hands a little.
In any case, none of these guys looked like raiders or robbers.
"We...we..."
The leader of the militia captain was a little nervous.
However, for the safety of the village, we stepped up and shouted: "We are the militiamen of Nali Village. This evening, a mercenary group came to our village to stay overnight. We are afraid of accidents, so come here to report!"
"Mercenary group?"
At the city gate, several guard captains also looked at each other.
Nali Village is indeed one of the several villages under the Fort of Aviles, but it also has the duty of inquiring news for the castle on weekdays. It's just that the so-called news is varied, and it all depends on the reactions of the villagers.
Just coming here to report now, so anxious, it is estimated that there is indeed a situation.
Notice the difference.
The captain of the guard also shouted: "Let them come here!"
"Follow!"
The team of cavalry who went out released the five militiamen near the castle.
However, the main gate of the castle is still closed, only a shed underneath, which is considered as the residence of the night duty soldiers stationed outside the castle at night, and now there are more than a dozen guards standing with long guns, watching them cautiously.
In a few moments, the city gate opened a gap.
The captain of the guard came out.
"Master Knight!"
The five militiamen quickly said hello.
"Hmm." The captain of the guard was indeed a knight, he just frowned at them and asked, "What's the matter, isn't it normal for the mercenary group to stay in your village? Why are you in such a panic?"
(end of this chapter)