Fo Degen seemed to readily give the deposit. He returned to his camp and was in a bad mood.
The three old cows were slaughtered on the road, and the remaining meat was shared among the refugees.
With only his elite men, Fordegen paid for them to purchase a batch of delicacies at the market in Yermalen, and even more than twenty oak barrels of ale.
I didn’t expect that the journey back would be so troublesome!
Having lost four pounds of silver coins, he could only hope to make maximum profits from this group of refugees to make up for his losses.
He had already thought about the dozens of children who were completely orphaned. Since the old guy Gould was willing to be a good person, all the orphans would be handed over to him. That's the cost. Considering that he was defrauded of four pounds by just paying the freight, plus the loss of food on the road, all the money had to be reimbursed by Gould!
A bad mood may only be made up for by drinking.
It was nightfall, and in the distance was the Gran camp with a bonfire.
There are more than a dozen bonfires here. The refugees ate some meat and are now sleeping by the fire.
Facing the bonfire, Fodegen and several of his loyal mercenaries sat together. The so-called loyalty can of course be bought with money, and now, he wants to entertain everyone with high-quality ale.
When the ale entered his mouth, the spicy taste immediately made Fordegen realize that this was good wine.
"What a treasure! I didn't expect that the level of craft brewing of the Hjelmalen people is so high?!"
He took a swig from a wooden cup, and his subordinates happily drank it all in one gulp.
Only this relieved his spirit a lot.
Fo Degen then greeted the two girls who were munching on meat.
"Carlotta! Ella! Come to me!"
Helplessly, the two members of the team who discovered the opportunity had no choice but to reluctantly get close to the old guy.
Fordgen stroked their braids and buttoned their silver hairpins. He estimated that the identity of the two children was by no means as simple as a shepherdess. Now, was their past still important?
Fordegen felt like he was stroking two little forest cats. It seemed that they had really accepted his fate and now they have become extremely docile.
Fordegen raised the empty wine glass and handed it to the youngest Ella rudely.
"See that barrel? Pour me some wine."
Ella, she didn't like being treated so rudely. She glanced at her sister and had no choice but to break away from Fordgen's arms.
Although the craft ale is at the level of dry red wine, the oak cup in Vodgen's hand is enough to hold close to 500 ml.
The good wine they bought from the Yelmalen people was packed in oak barrels carefully crafted by coopers, with only one pouring outlet tightly blocked by a wooden block.
Its alcohol content has reached the limit of deep fermentation, and it is really a challenge for Ella to tolerate this excessive wine aroma.
It was also because of this alcohol that the clever sister Carlotta finally found an opportunity to escape.
Ella finally filled up the wooden cup in her hand. Under the cheers of a group of mercenaries beside the campfire, she swayed and handed the cup to her master.
Owner?
right!
Carlotta is now like a kitten, deliberately rubbing against the chest of the old guy Fodegen.
Fo Degen, who was already excited by drinking, was even more energetic.
He took the wine glass and took a fierce sip. The spilled wine dripped a lot on Carlotta's head.
"It's really good wine. I'm just a little pity that you two are still too young."
After Carlotta heard these words, she simply put her hands on Fu Degen's chest, gently pulled his hair, and pressed her head against it.
Her sister Ella was startled. She was already wary of serving, but she didn't expect that her sister, who had always been very determined, had already...
Carlotta tried every means to put on a flattering appearance, "Sir, we are indeed too young. In a few years, we will serve you well."
Fordgen's head buzzed, and a sense of happiness full of hope for the future filled his mind.
He was not in a hurry to continue drinking, but handed the glass to the girl next to him.
"This is good wine. Drink it, my Carlotta. Well...my woman."
Looking at the red smiling face of this old guy, Carlotta felt that she still needed to make persistent efforts. The old guy has to drink more wine until he can't drink anymore.
But looking at this glass of wine that had been sipped by the old guy, not to mention the natural nausea, it was the excessive smell of alcohol that Carlotta could only endure.
Seeing her hesitation, Fo Degen continued to urge: "Give me a drink. I will give you all my good things. You can't be ungrateful."
Gritting her teeth, the girl held the wine glass with both hands, closed her eyes and took a sip.
It's bitter with a hint of weird spiciness. Men still like to drink this crappy thing?
Carlotta thought of her dead grandfather, her dead father, and all her dead relatives. They all like to drink, and as expected, only men like this.
She wanted to swallow it, but her throat was no longer controlled by her brain.
Suddenly, Carlotta sprayed a mouthful of wine all over the floor, causing the onlookers to laugh.
Fordgen also laughed at the top of his lungs and continued to stare at the girl's face with his wine glass: "Do you think it tastes bad? You must give me a sip. Otherwise, I should punish you."
She pursed her lips, feeling the bitterness making Carlotta feel bored. Unfortunately, I can't toast at the critical moment without eating the fine wine. In order to escape, I have to take a sip of the rotten sour water today.
Carlotta finally took a sip. She couldn't help but taste the annoying bitterness and spiciness. She raised her head suddenly and put on a smile with difficulty: "Sir, I have already drank, and you must drink too."
"Okay! You are really my canary. You can already serve men and drink."
After saying that, Fordgen drank it all in one gulp, and sighed: "I think you were so stubborn a few days ago, but you didn't know that I treated you two sincerely."
"Oh, my lord, please forgive our stubbornness."
"Okay, I forgive you." After saying that, Fordgen's wine glass was thrown to Ella again.
Upon seeing this, Carlotta immediately called to her sister: "Ella, quickly pour the wine for your Excellency."
Today's sister became very strange. Since it was her sister's request, Ella had no choice but to comply.
Their obedience seemed to come from the bottom of their hearts. Ford took the wine glass and poured the ale into his already bulging belly.
Fordegen drank three more glasses in a row. After he burped deeply, he obviously still wasn't satisfied. He threw the wine glass to Ella again. This time, the girl had to say that the barrel was empty.
"Empty?" Fodegen, who was already a little confused, called to his subordinates who were also confused and brought in a new barrel.
Ella struggled to open the cork of the new barrel, and the strong smell of alcohol spurted out. The girl subconsciously covered her mouth and nose and refilled the cup with difficulty.
At this moment, Carlotta suddenly preached to her sister seriously: "Bring the wine quickly! Our master hasn't had enough!"
The clumsy Fordgen grabbed Carlotta's golden braid and said, "Carlotta, don't talk about your sister like that."
"Sir, we... just want to serve you well."
"Really?!" Fo Degen was clearly confused. His mind was actually very excited, but his whole body seemed to be disobedient. He grabbed Carlotta's neck very roughly, scaring the girl into thinking that she was going to be strangled to death by this man, but of course that was not the case.
When Carlotta smelled the strong aroma of the glass of wine, she knew the power of this thing. The better the wine, the spicier it is and the harder it is to drink. That's what she was thinking, and she knew that such wine would more easily turn a strong warrior into a comatose mess.
"It seems that you... are smart girls. You two are my wives, Carlotta... Carlotta, you actually know everything... Maybe you already want to serve me in another way. Everything is not enough At that time, you were all beautiful... I want you to give me two beautiful sons. You... you have a wound on your leg! When we go back, I will invite the best witch doctor to heal you." Having said that, Fo Degen can be considered as letting go.
Carlotta covered her neck and coughed hard twice. She personally held the wine glass and handed it to the unlucky Fordegen. The glass was directly pressed against his beard, and she looked at the red-faced Fordegen with a smile.
"Sir, keep drinking."
"Okay! Let's drink! Brothers, I'm very happy today, everyone is going to get drunk! Celebrate...celebrate that we have arrived in the safety of Hjärmalen! Celebrate that I...conquered two wives."
But the mercenaries felt that the sponsor was joking. Other businessmen were looking for young women to take them back. They didn't expect that their sponsor wanted to train their own women from an early age. After all, the sponsor is the sponsor. Today’s sponsor is in a good mood, but he spent money to buy nearly an oxcart of craft beer!
Didn't the sponsor buy so many drinkers with the intention of transporting them to the Mälaren Market and selling them? Looking at the formation, it was clear that everyone was drinking happily.
Yes, who would have thought that the Yelmalen people still have such good wine, and today is also a treat for the sponsor.
So what are the worries?
The entire caravan in Fordegen was drinking happily, which was exactly what Carlotta wanted to see.
Finally, Fodegen got into his tent with his remaining consciousness. Some mercenaries also returned to their tents, and many others lay beside the campfire in a very twisted posture. Some even fell asleep with beef in their hands.
The night was already deep, and Fordgen was sleeping soundly wrapped in a sheepskin blanket in the tent. I don't know how much alcohol has been poured into his body, but after all, his current condition is a hangover.
Completely different from him, his sister felt more energetic after drinking some wine, while his sister had not drank at all.
The elder sister, Carlotta, has remained awake, while the younger sister, Ella, has fallen asleep nestled next to her elder sister.
The three of them were in the same tent, probably because their flattery had completely gained Fo Degen's attention, leaving Fo Degen and his people unprepared.
My sister stayed awake all the time, touching her wounds when she was a little drowsy, and finally got the opportunity she needed.
Carlotta gently shook her sister awake: "My dear, the time has come. We are ready to run."
Ella murmured weakly: "Sister, I thought you agreed with that man."
"Silly girl, that's deception. Now we can escape. Pay attention and keep a lookout."
As a result, the two children gently got out of the comfortable leather sleeping nest. They did not wear boots, but carried their somewhat damaged leather boots in their hands. They walked barefoot on the sandy grass, not only sneaking out of the tent, but also sneaking to the campfire.
They picked up some leftover beef pieces and leftover wheat cakes, stuffed them into a linen bag they found, and disappeared where the campfire could not be found.
This night, due to a collective hangover, no one noticed the disappearance of the two children.
As for Fo Degen and his people, if another group of bandits sneaks up on them at night, all their people and property will be lost. Perhaps he should be lucky that it was just two young slaves who escaped, rather than having his head chopped off by bandits.
The day finally broke, and Fodegen was very groggy. He didn't wake up due to abdominal distension until long after the sun rose. He wanted to go out to relieve himself, but only after he got up did he realize that he had lost something precious.
"Carlotta! Ella!"
Fo Degen stared wide-eyed at the opened leather sleeping nest and the two girls' missing leather boots.
His beard was trembling, and for a moment he thought he was dreaming. He tugged hard on his beard and realized that he had woken up.
"Carlotta! Ella! Where are you?!"
Anxious, he stood up suddenly, but the severe pain in his head forced him to sit down.
He hurriedly put on his leather coat, ignored his boots, and walked out of the tent barefoot. As a result, he not only bumped into his own mercenaries, but also other people.
There were five tall, sturdy men from outside, all wearing fox fur hats with feathers on their heads. After all, everyone is a businessman, even a businessman selling onions is a businessman. As a businessman, you have to pay attention to your appearance. Nowadays, merchants and even noble tribal leaders need precious leather and beautiful feathers to decorate themselves.
The visitors are all temporary business partners of Fo Degen. The only purpose of the five guys on this trip is to urge Fo Degen to set sail.
An older man stepped forward regardless of Fordgen's obvious anxious attitude: "My friend, as promised yesterday, we should set sail now."
However, Fodegen directly called his mercenary captain and asked hurriedly: "Have you seen those two children?"
"Sir? Aren't they always in your tent?"
"Bah! They're gone. By the way, did they come out to use the toilet?" As he said, Fo Degen looked left and right, and ordered his subordinates: "Hurry up and have a look at Caodong, find those two children and bring them to me. return."
The mercenaries didn't understand what the financial owner said, but they had no choice but to obey the financial owner's order, even though no one saw anyone coming out of the tent.
When the merchants in the fleet saw that Fo Degen was so negligent towards them and his party, the old man approached him directly: "Let's talk about business now! Fo Degen, we must leave now."
"Yes! I know, but..." The more anxious he was, the more painful Fo Degen's head became.
Because even if the Yelmalen people know how to craft their brews, even if the alcohol content is high, there are still a lot of methanol and other impurities mixed in. If you drink too much, you will inevitably get a headache.
The mercenaries searched for it and even tried their best to screen the refugees, but found nothing.
"Damn, maybe they escaped!?"
The fleet merchants became even more angry. They felt that they had been tricked.
The old man finally broke out and yelled: "Fo Degen, are you lying to us? You are a bastard!"
"You!" After being scolded a lot, Ford's head hurt, and his thoughts returned to today's business. "How dare you scold me."
"Vordegen, the Vordegen of Mälaren! We are all traveling together, and you know the rules of traveling together. I tell you, we set off now and will arrive at the Market of Mälaren tomorrow. If you miss today, we will I’m not leaving. I can’t even take away the deposit you paid. You know the rules.”
Rules, Fo Degen knows the rules too well.
After all, he is a pure agricultural businessman selling onions and wheat. They also have a commercial agreement with the Yermalen people. When the harvest season is coming, if he cannot meet the deadline, the business opportunities may be lost for a long time. Possession.
Working on a transport ship is a part-time job, and they wouldn't be willing to do it if it weren't for the huge amount of money given by Fordegen.
Vodgen, who was in a dilemma, estimated that the two children had run away. Thinking of this, he felt more and more that Carlotta's reaction last night was more than abnormal.
"Carlotta, you are a little bitch! You actually ran away with your every door! If you ran away, you would be seeking your own death! It was a waste of my love."
The mercenary immediately asked: "Sir, are you still looking for me?"
"Looking for? What are you looking for?! Those are two children who are looking for death. They don't want happiness, so why should I force them! Alas, at least I still found two little treasures." At this point, Fodegen could only comfort himself. Suddenly, he took the high-grade amber from the girl's hand, and the financial benefits were actually good.
Fo Degen began to break camp, and then he held his breath and verbally apologized to his colleagues for waiting. He still blamed himself a little. Maybe he should have put a shackle on them from the beginning. They would only give up if he took them back.
But then again, they are all from Ostara, so why did the other refugees become extremely respectful when they were only given some meat to eat?
Everyone was thinking about walking to the lake, where a fleet of boats docked.
Approaching the shore, Fodegen supervised the refugees under his control to get on the boat. Here, all the children will be placed on the same large merchant ship.
Before that, he did not give up and personally screened the refugees. Unfortunately, there were no Carlotta or Ella among the children here.
He looked up to the sky and barked: "Carlotta! Ella! Where have you two little bitches gone?!"
At this time, a clever woman boldly said: "Sir, I know these two people."
"You know?!" Fo Degen looked at the woman who was speaking, and hurried away as if he had grasped a glimmer of hope. "Tell me, where are they?!"
The woman was startled and said reluctantly: "They are the children of our tribal leader. Those two girls are already dead."
"Dead? Nonsense!"
"Sir, we dare not talk nonsense. They are really the children of the leader. The leader's family went to fight and everyone died."
"Huh?" Things suddenly became bizarre, "Carlotta? Ella? The leader's child? How many girls with such names are there in your tribe?"
The woman immediately replied: "My lord, who dares to give his child the same name as the leader's child? None of us dare. Who else dares to name his daughter after the goddess El? Only noble people !”
"You...could it be that the person who has been accompanying me these days is a ghost? Huh? Ah! No!" In an instant, Fo Degen understood!
He lowered his head and muttered secretly: "I said, how can you be a shepherdess? You are actually the children of the leader of Ostara. Carlotta, you are arrogant, you are also very scheming, and you actually know how to deceive. You guys Run away! Run away! The Yermalen people may not be as kind as me. You two became slaves of others, so you deserve it! You deserve to be eaten by wolves!"
To be honest, the new situation that Fordegen learned was completely like a bolt from the blue. He was even a little bit behind, and he also realized that he had lost them.
If he really has two wives and concubines like this, and other tribal leaders know about it, will his life be threatened?
After all, the daughters of tribal leaders may not be betrothed according to the tradition of twelve years of age at all. A daughter may be engaged since she was born.
Who would have thought that the girl of the leader of Ostara was not dead? !
Although Fodegen estimated that the two girls might have infiltrated the Yelmalen community, if he was willing, he could pay his mercenaries to find them. The possibility of finding them was actually quite high. He even felt hungry. Because of their status, the two girls might finally be protected by the leader of the Yermalen people and become his adopted daughters.
The current situation is that maybe losing them will not cause any security risks.
Businessmen should not touch anything that is transgressive. Otherwise, who knows, the tribe of the girl's potential fiancé will attack her with unbelievable anger.
He thought that his life during this period was called magic. Even if he was served against his will yesterday, it was the girl from the leader of Ostara who was serving him. It was really a dream experience.
Everything should be over, now it's better to go home and recuperate. After that, he sold all the refugees in his hands to Gould.
Fordegen, he felt that the Ostara people were poisonous, and he had had enough of their magical powers. Leatherworker? forget it! When recruiting workers, he should recruit honest ones. He even felt that the group of refugees he had on hand were all a bunch of liars, guys who would run away as soon as they landed.
This time, Fordegen became vigilant. He ordered the mercenaries to tie the hands of all the refugees and tie knots around their necks to prevent them from escaping.
Fodegen got on the boat, and the fleet carried people, a large amount of goods, and even wooden carts and cattle for pulling goods, heading towards the exit from the lake.
Target, Lake Malaren.
