"So have you thought about what to do next?" Simon ate the boiled sausage and looked up at Gabriel.
"To be honest, I haven't thought about it yet," Gabriel wiped the wine drops on his mouth and beard with his sleeve, "Maybe find a new mercenary group to start a new life of money and blood. One day If you are unlucky and die in an unknown place. Maybe go to various territories to try your luck with the local lords to see if they still need private soldiers or a cavalry with their own equipment and horses."
Simon's mind became more active after hearing Gabriel's words. After the battle with the Vikings, Simon intends to purchase a few new horses. In addition to assisting in production in the village, he can also train a small cavalry team in peacetime to act as scouts and cavalry in wartime. .
And now, in front of him is a candidate who has many years of experience in horseback combat and brings his own armor and horses as the best private soldier and cavalry instructor candidate. If I miss him this time, I don’t know when I will meet such a suitable candidate next time.
"If you are willing, maybe you can work under me," Simon made up his mind, put down the wooden spoon, smiled faintly, and extended an olive branch to Gabriel, "I am Feld, Hatuariya County in the north. Lord of the castle."
"Sir, oh no, I mean sir," Gabriel looked a little excited, his cheeks were a little red in his drunken state, "That's really the best. It seems that since leaving the half-dead Oder River, After joining the Free Mercenary Group, my luck began to improve."
"Hahaha," Simon laughed heartily, picked up the wooden wine glass and took a sip, "but before returning to the territory, we will first go to Cologne, and then to Dresden. This is really a long and arduous journey. .”
"No, my lord," Gabriel straightened his clothes and looked ready to go. "For those of us who have been mercenaries and have traveled all over the world, this distance is simply a piece of cake."
………
After eating the fragrant boiled sausage and drinking the cool but not very good beer, Simon arranged accommodation for Fatty and Miller in the tavern, and then took them and Gabriel to Vitra. Next to the lord's house in Er village.
This mottled and old stone and wood structure house was simply too old. All kinds of moss and lush ivy covered the exposed walls of the house. Before Simon entered the house, he could already smell the strong smell of putridity and Musty smell.
Standing next to the gate of the lord's mansion was a guy with long hair and a slovenly beard who looked extremely strong.
This elite soldier guarding the gate may have a close relationship with the lord. He wears a ridged iron helmet, dirty and old chainmail, an animal skin shoulder pad on his shoulders, and a pair of shoes that look relatively new. The fur boots were holding a large single-hook two-handed axe. The javelin and throwing spear he carried on his back were engraved with inscriptions that Simon could not understand.
"Who are you?" At this time, the guard guard glanced at Simon and the others warily, then calmly and slowly took a step back, and adjusted his axe-holding posture so that he could attack quickly at any time.
"This is the destroyer of Norman pirates, Sir Simon of the Dorsten family in Hattuaria County. He would like to pay a visit to Lord Wolfe." The fat man stepped forward as confidently as ever and spoke with a slightly exaggerated He spoke loudly in a loud tone, not forgetting to give Simon the new title that was popularized after the battle with the Vikings.
"I'm very sorry, my lord, please wait a moment. We have to inform my master first." The guard soldier wearing dirty mail waved to the thatched shed next to him, and immediately walked out of the thatched shed. A young man with a runny nose and wearing animal skin clothing.
The soldier whispered something in his ear, and then the young man with a runny nose nodded, opened the door of the lord's villa through a small crack, and entered the lord's villa slowly and carefully.
"The lord has agreed to meet you, please come in." After a while, the young man sniffed, opened the door of the lord's mansion, lowered his head slightly and said to Simon and others.
As soon as he entered the lord's mansion, Simon smelled a strong smell of wine, meat and urine. What you see is a rectangular fire pit, in which are piled many embers of burnt wood and charcoal with red sparks.
What was roasting on the fire pit was a roe deer that was skewered on a thick long branch and had been roasted until it was brown and dripping with oil. At this time, a servant was adding firewood to the fire pit under the deer, and another servant was cutting the roasted deer meat with a sharp and oil-stained dagger and placing it on a huge wooden plate.
The walls of the villa were densely covered with various animal skins in perfect condition, but at this time, those animal skins were exuding a disgusting rancid smell.
The servant who cut the meat cut off a whole shiny roasted deer leg and placed it on a large wooden dinner plate. Then he inserted the dagger into the pile of red, white and black charcoal, and brought the dinner plate to the large dining table directly in front of the fire pit. Go up, then step aside.
A pair of big hands covered with dirt and dirt directly grabbed the roasted deer leg and brought it to his mouth. After tearing off a large piece of meat and chewing it in his mouth, the deer leg meat was put back on the plate with satisfaction. At the same time, it was greasy. His hand grabbed the wooden cup filled with fruit wine again.
Baron Wolfe enjoyed the delicious food, opened his eyes slightly and looked at Simon and others who came in from the door. He took a sip of fruit wine slowly and clapped his hands: "It seems that you are the son of old Coose, although I didn't I have met you, but I know your father. I fought with him under the banner of Count Berg, and he was a respectable nobleman."
Only then did Simon begin to carefully look at Wolfe, the baron among the tribal leaders, the tribal leader among the barons.
He wore a dark red slightly worn turban on his head, a string of silver pendants around his neck, a brown cotton robe, and an old fur coat stained with spots of dried blood. In addition, he also wore a green plaid cloak behind his seat.
"That's right, sir, my father often mentioned you in front of me, a brave and brave warrior who did not care about his own life in battle." Simon gave a slight salute to Baron Wolfe.
"Hahahaha, young man, sit down quickly," Baron Wolfe laughed happily and nuzzled at the servant next to him, "In addition to me, the brave warriors also have my loyal Vitlar retinue. Du. Gan, quickly serve meat and wine to my friend."
………
When Simon rode his horse on the road the next day, he felt dizzy.
The enthusiastic Baron Wolfe really got into the conversation last night and kept drinking with Simon. Simon even suspected that they drank most of the entire Vitral Village's liquor store last night.
When Simon woke up in the morning, he found that he was lying on a hay bed cushioned with fur in the lord's mansion, and the wooden bucket used for excretion next to him was full of his vomit.
"It's too uncomfortable." Simon shook his head, trying to wake himself up.
Unlike other lords who were so stingy that they were reluctant to part with a penny, Baron Wolfe was quite generous. Maybe it was because his father had some friendship with him in the past, or maybe he reminded him of the glorious past yesterday... In any case, before leaving, he gave Simon a brand new wolfskin cloak, although it had a strong tribal atmosphere and It smells rancid, but that doesn't stop it from being both warm and majestic.
"Master Simon," Gabriel, who was riding behind Simon, held the reins in one hand and a kettle filled with beer in the other, "I think we are almost near Cologne."
"Well, have you ever walked this road before?" Simon asked curiously.
"That's right, I've walked there twice." Gabriel nodded, but just when he was about to say something, there was suddenly a faint noise in front of him.
"Be careful." Simon put away his relaxation and fatigue, gathered his energy, put on the chainmail neck guard hanging on his chest, touched the hilt of the sword at his waist, and cautiously narrowed his eyes and looked forward.
"Sir, we are a group of pilgrims, don't be nervous." Gabriel raised his head and looked around for a while, then relaxed, picked up his wine bottle and continued to drink.
"Oh, really?" Simon finally saw clearly that there were many people in simple clothes on the main road in the distance and beside the woods. Most of them were wearing muddy burlap clothes, carrying wooden crutches and carrying luggage.
Some of the wealthier-looking pilgrims wore hats decorated with St. James shells and a large, hooded robe.
At this time, the pilgrims spoke different languages and dialects from different places, talked, ate, and packed their things. Many of the pilgrims had scars and dried blood on their bodies, and it looked like they had gone through hardships along the way.
A light rain began to fall in the sky, and an old monk walked to the center of the crowd and cleared his throat: "Everyone, when we were preparing for the trip, we knew that with God's blessing, we would have a safe journey. Although there will be all kinds of unexpected accidents and tribulations on the road, I always firmly believe that these are God’s arrangements and are God’s tests for us…”
Simon and others couldn't help but stop their horses, and like other pilgrims, quietly listened to the old monk's speech.
"You are all obedient and conscientious believers. We have walked a long holy road, walked the path of a holy man, and under the guidance of God, we are about to arrive at our destination - Cologne. By then, in the holy church, The Bishop will bless you and your souls will be cleansed.”
The devout believers clapped their hands and cheered. Even the heavier rain could not extinguish the excitement and heat in their hearts.
"I think besides atonement, even if I just want to see a foreign land, this trip is worth it." Among the crowd, an inconspicuous young man wearing a wide hood and a mustache looked at him curiously. The surrounding streams and woods nodded in agreement.
